Why Entertainment Properties Are Partnering with Sports to Drive Fan Engagement
by McKenzie Dalgleish
As audiences move fluidly between sports, entertainment, and culture, the most successful properties are finding growth not by competing for attention, but by partnering where fan passion already overlaps.
Finding ways to grow your property is always at the core of any league, organization or company. When properties partner together, they meet fans at the intersection of what they love. That’s where engagement is strongest.
Fans don’t fit neatly into one category. They don’t just follow one team, one league, or one form of entertainment. Their lives are a mix of sports, music, pop culture, live events, and digital content, where they move between them effortlessly.
No greater example of this was Formula 1’s partnership with Netflix in creating the thrilling behind the scenes series Drive to Survive back in 2019. Formula 1 identified their aging fanbase challenge and through a massive entertainment company like Netflix, found a way to connect with younger demographics. This also benefited Netflix by providing content that would bring in subscriptions from a global audience that are diehard and passionate viewers.
This is why we’re seeing more properties partner with each other to create bigger, more exciting experiences. Instead of competing for attention, they’re collaborating to make moments that feel more relevant to how fans actually live.
Looking at a new partnership that was just announced, the Toronto Raptors of the NBA and the WWE came together to announce a WWE Night where ticket holders will receive a first ever, official Raptors x WWE mask.
Source: Instagram/Toronto Raptors
When looking at the fanbases through SponsorPulse’s exclusive data, we can see why this is a strong partnership to provide incremental gains for both properties.
In Canada, nearly 10.5 million fans from across the country engage with the Raptors, this is 43% of the general population. For the WWE, nearly 8 million Canadians engage. But where properties can go beyond the general numbers is how SponsorPulse can help provide deeper meaning and assistance.
Through SponsorPulse’s data, we can see that of those who engage with the Raptors, 64% also engage with the WWE. On the flip side, 77% of WWE fans also engage with the Raptors.
This shows the strong partnership that these types of integrations can provide, as there is a natural overlap between the two. This is mutually beneficial to both properties that can reap many benefits over the course of years.
Also, there is a potential of almost 6 million, or 24%, of new fans who currently only engage with one property, but could now be exposed and provide incremental reach, really providing growth opportunities for both properties.
Being creative and finding new ways to cross promote and cross partner, can lead to strong emotional connections for fans and potential customers to intersect and come together.
In 2024, Marvel and The Coca-Cola Company created a limited-edition product that combined Marvel character IP and placing it on the iconic Coca-Cola can.
Source: The Coca-Cola Company
According to SponsorPulse data, Coca-Cola drinkers are far more passionate and driven by impact when it comes to Marvel than the general population, forming a strong partnership between an entertainment property and brand.
Source: SponsorPulse, United States, 2024, Coca-Cola users who engage with Marvel
These collaborations don’t just benefit fans or consumers. They create powerful opportunities for brands too.
Sponsors get:
Access to multiple passion points at once
Deeper emotional connection
More interesting storytelling opportunities
Experiences that feel authentic, not forced
It’s a win for everyone involved.
These are just some of the many ways that entertainment can meet sport and be fueled by brands. To learn more about how SponsorPulse can help elevate your entertainment property or find ways to connect your brand with the right property, reach out here.
