The Economical Follow-ups of Sponsorship in Austrlian Sports

Australia is a sports crazy nation. The crowds that are drawn to sporting events whether it be AFL, Soccer, Cricket, Racing, Tennis and others compared to our population confirms this. Further, the Australian government spends substantial amount of budget for the research and development of sports and sporting clubs. According to a report of Australian Sports Commission it is estimated that total spending for 2013-14 budget year was $313, 269 AUD for sports development and total sports sponsorship in Australia and NZ combined was $927m Australian dollar in this period.

This article will focus in the sponsorship spending for major Australian sports and highlights the impact of business sponsorship to Australian economy.

Australian Rules Football

Australian Rules Football also known as AFL is undoubtedly the most popular sport in Australia, particularly in Victoria. Currently 18 teams play AFL and sponsors pay AUD 774 million in Australia and NZD 182 million in New Zealand every year. Among all the major league AFL gets the highest number of money from corporate companies.

Rugby Union

Rugby Union is the second most popular sport in Australia. It has been played in Australia for past 200 years and the Australian national rugby team has won the Rugby World Cup twice. According to a Sponsorship Today report, the total value of sponsorship in Rugby is equivalent to $105 USD. Major sports equipment vendor Adidas paid $25m in Rugby sponsorship this year, for Australia and NZ combined.

Cricket

Australia has long history as a cricket playing nation. In fact the first two teams that played the first official international cricket match is Australia and England. The Australian national cricket team has won a number of international competitions including the highest number of ODI World Cups. The most popular test series in the world is the Ashes, played between Australia and England. However, Australia has won 32 Ashes series from 68 series, good for only a 40% winning record. A $25m sponsorship agreement was recently signed with the Cricket Board of Australia and Common wealth Bank of Australia for the next 4 Ashes series. According to a Herald Sun report, Cricket Australia is expecting $40m AUD income by the end of the 2013-14 season majority, most of which has come from sponsorship money.

According to the statistics, the financial sector accounts for just 13% of total sports sponsorship spend in Australia, which is a low number compared to other Western countries where it can account for 20% - 30%. The majority of sponsorship money comes from car, alcohol and soft drink companies, which is quite usual and may say something about the average sports fan in Australia.

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