Here’s What the Data Says

Every year, the Canadian Sponsorship Landscape Study (CSLS) provides the most detailed measurement of the sponsorship industry's performance. With 19 years of results, 303 respondents across brands, properties, and agencies, and category-by-category financial data, the study is widely seen as the industry’s most reliable barometer.

This year’s data tells a compelling story of growth, sophistication, and apparent directional shifts. Below is a breakdown of the findings backed by the numbers.

Rights Fees Jumped 58% The Industry’s Largest Increase on Record

Brands reported significant growth in what they spent on rights fees:

Average rights-fee spend per brand rose from $2.41M (2023) to $3.83M (2024).
Across the entire market, rights-fee spending hit $2.56B - the highest in CSLS history.
Rights-fee spending has now more than doubled since the study’s first year.
56.5% of brands increased the number of sponsorships they invested in.
Brands invested in an average of 13.7 sponsorships, with a median of 6 and a range up to 280.

The sharp increase signals a shift to larger, more strategic partnerships rather than incremental additions.

Activation Spending Reached $1.66B - The Highest Dollar Value Ever Recorded

Although the activation ratio decreased from 1.01 to 0.65 year-over-year, the actual amount invested grew:

$1.66B in activation spending, up from $1.62B.
Activation budgets ranged widely, with investments going toward:

Social media (19.9%)
Advertising (15.2%)
Hosting & hospitality (17.5%)
Branded content (7.0%)
Ancillary events (17.1%)
Product sampling (8.5%)

Brands are spreading activation budgets across more channels than in prior years, signalling a move to multi-touchpoint engagement.

Total Industry Spend Reached $4.22B Growth Across Every Major Category

The combined rights-fee and activation market grew to $4.22B, the highest recorded by CSLS.

Category-level shifts drive this growth:

2024 Sponsorship Breakdown by Property Type

Total rights-fee allocation:

Professional Sport: $599M (23.4%)
Festivals & Annual Events: $374M (14.6%)
Cause: $335M (13.1%)
Olympic/Grassroots/Amateur Sport: $305M (11.9%)
Entertainment & Attractions: $228M (8.9%)
Education: $197M (7.7%)
Media: $195M (7.6%)
Arts: $154M (6.0%)
Municipality: $151M (5.9%)
Other: $23M (0.9%)

This is the most balanced distribution of categories seen since before the pandemic.

Notable shifts:

Spending on education, entertainment, media, and municipal properties rose sharply.
60.6% of brands say they will increase spend in women’s sports, one of the most significant forward-looking indicators in this year’s study.
Professional sports dollars remained high, but their share declined as overall market growth increased.

Evaluation Spending Hit Its Highest Point in 19 Years

Brands significantly increased how much they dedicate to measurement:

14.3% of rights fees reinvested into evaluation, the highest ever.
Only 6.4% of brands spent zero on evaluation (the lowest in study history).
Pre-sponsorship evaluation assessments done before deals are signed rose to 23.3% of evaluation spend, also a record high.

Agencies reported using a wide range of measurement tools, including:

Full media valuation
Brand lift tracking
Consumer research
Streaming and broadcast analytics
Sentiment and social listening
Coupon redemption, QR scans, app downloads
Field-of-play exposure models

The industry is clearly aligning around stronger and more consistent measurement standards.

Properties Are Reinvesting More Back Into Sponsors

Servicing, activation support, and evaluation have become central to how properties operate.

Key metrics:

100% of properties reported reinvesting in servicing.
On average, 31.9% of rights-fee revenue was reinvested back into sponsorship delivery.
Sponsor satisfaction scores increased across 9 of 10 measured categories.
Median sponsorship revenue for properties was $1.13M, with a maximum of $25M.

Properties with broader reach (national and international) saw higher average revenue, reflecting a shift toward platforms that deliver scalable value.

Agency Billings Continue to Grow

Agencies reported:

Average billings of $1.125 for sponsorship work.
An average of 21 sponsor clients per agency.
57.9% of total agency billings are now tied directly to sponsorship.
Sponsorship sales make up 26.9% of agency billings, the largest single service category.

This growth indicates more brands relying on external expertise for strategy, activation, servicing, and valuation.

The Industry Outlook Is Strong Across All Sectors

There is clear confidence heading into 2025:

46.8% of brands expect sponsorship budgets to increase.
64.0% of properties expect their sponsorship revenue to grow.
57.1% of agencies expect billings to increase.
CAGR projections:

+6.9% for brand spending
+38% for property revenue
+9.1% for agency billings

This optimism is supported by larger events returning, increased festivalization, more substantial digital efficiencies, and demographic shifts (notably Gen Z and women’s sports audiences).

How to Use These Findings in Your Work

The CSLS offers practical direction for sponsorship decision-makers:

1. Use category-level spending patterns to guide portfolio planning. For example, if your organization is heavy in pro sports, the growth in festivals, education, and entertainment offers diversification opportunities amid rising demand.

2. Benchmark your budget decisions. If you’re investing below the average rights-fee spend or activating below the $1.66B national benchmark, the report helps recalibrate expectations.

3. Strengthen negotiations with precise industry data. Knowing that 31.9% of rights fees are typically reinvested helps establish servicing expectations and partnership standards.

4. Build measurement into your agreements. With brands reinvesting 14.3% in evaluation and aligning on ROI, measurement is now a baseline expectation.

5. Anticipate future growth areas. The rapid rise of women’s sports, increased education and entertainment spending, and a more balanced category mix all point to where new opportunities will emerge.

Download the Study

Get the full 19th Annual Canadian Sponsorship Landscape Study (CSLS) here: thet1agency.com/canadian-sponsorship-landscape-study

The Sponsorship Industry’s Barometer Is Speaking