Brand marketers have seen the effectiveness of traditional TV spot advertising fall in recent years. The growth of sponsorship as a marketing tool is one consequence of this trend. However, sport must compete for sponsors’ money with other forms of content such as music, the arts and cause-related marketing, each of which offers a compelling alternative. Total viewer figures are what count when TV channels try to sell their advertising package to brand marketers, and sports are the number one supplier of viewers. On the other hand, the sports world needs to attract a large number of viewers to be important for the broadcasters. Each country has its own favorite sports: Bull-fighting is Spain-only. Handball and Horse-Racing aren’t attractive in Scandinavian countries, where they prefer Ice Hockey and Ski-Jumping. The most attractive sports in the EMEA region are Football, Rugby, Formula One Racing, Tennis, and Golf. The Summer/Winter Olympics and Football European/World Cup bring all countries together in one place. Read more »