Binz, Germany, hosted the Ironman 70.3 Rügen event in September.GETTY IMAGES
Football "dominates" sports sponsorship in Germany, but "other sports are catching up," according to Joscha Thieringer of ISPO. Running and triathlon athletes can "also earn huge sums," and running sports are "gaining in importance in marketing." In Germany, football "not only dominates the media coverage," it also "accounts for the lion's share of sports sponsorship expenditures." The jersey sponsorships of the 18 Bundesliga clubs are valued at "around" €180M ($208.3M). Nevertheless, there is "movement in the sports sponsorship market." Running and triathlon are "attracting the interest of companies," as numerous current studies have shown. The attributes of endurance, willpower and eagerness to train "can be used optimally and for many industries." Nielsen Sports Brand & Digital Consulting Dir Sebastian Kurczynski said, "There are many points of contact for brands: health and fitness are becoming increasingly important in our society." Running is the kind of sport that "most athletically active people in Germany practice," studies show. According to a Nielsen Sports survey, 33% of the sponsorship decision-makers in the German, Austrian and Swiss markets surveyed said that "they will be involved in running" in '18 (ISPO, 10/15).
