Maximize Your Sports Sponsorships with Interactive Fan Experiences

Finding sponsors and connecting them with your fans in a way that drives tangible return on investment (ROI) is one of the biggest event management challenges sports teams face today. While traditional sponsorship methods like jersey logos and stadium signage offer some level of brand exposure, they often fall short in driving the deeper fan engagement that creates a lasting connection with fans and a measurable ROI for sponsors.

To meet these demands, event organizers are moving away from static branding opportunities and instead, are partnering with fan engagement platforms like CUE that allow teams to create interactive sponsorship experiences. Through real-time fan engagement and data-driven activations, CUE helps teams offer sponsors a chance to connect with fans in dynamic and profitable ways.

In this blog, we’ll explore:

• The limitations of traditional sponsorship opportunities in stadiums nationwide.
• A better way to partner with sponsors that drives higher ROI and attracts high-ticket sponsorships.
• How CUE’s digital platform is changing the face of fan engagement and creating more successful event sponsorships.

Traditional Sports Sponsorship Placements Aren’t Cutting It

Traditional sponsorship methods like kit branding, pitch side banners, static ads, and sponsor’s logo placements have long been a staple for sports teams but, like we said before, these methods often fall short in creating the deeper fan interactions that modern sports sponsors crave.

This lack of fan interaction represents a huge missed opportunity for event sponsors to build genuine connections with their target audience and because of this, brands are increasingly seeking out sponsorship packages that go beyond placing a logo on a banner or a social media post.

They want sponsorship opportunities that generate strong, measurable engagement and boost long-term ROI. By building off of traditional methods with interactive fan engagement campaigns, teams can unlock greater value for both themselves and their corporate sponsors.

Digital Fan Engagement Drives Meaningful ROI For Your Sponsors

With digital fan engagement platforms like CUE, teams can offer potential sponsors more than just brand exposure. Digital activations give brands a chance to connect with event attendees in more meaningful ways which, in turn, boosts brand awareness and drives more immediate opportunities for event ROI.

And by incorporating strong calls to action like exclusive offers, fan votes, or sponsor giveaways, teams can help sponsors maximize their engagement within key audience demographics.

Let’s take a look at some of the sports teams that partnered with CUE’s fan engagement platform to solidify their sponsorships with lucrative brands.

Case Study: FanSee Activation for Detroit Red Wings & Tim Hortons

During the last nine regular season games for the Detroit Red Wings, CUE’s FanSee activation created a unique opportunity for both fans and sponsors. The Red Wings’ fans were highly engaged with FanSee, which allowed them to see their videos displayed on the stadium’s video boards.

Tim Hortons, the sponsor of the Fan Cam, saw more than just logo placement come from this partnership. The FanSee activation drove immediate consumer engagement by sharing digital coupons with all participants, resulting in 21,785 awarded coupons. This simple but powerful call to action drove in-store activity and generated new revenue streams.

The FanSee activation also provided valuable data for future marketing efforts. With 24,122 QR code scans and 5,670 phone numbers collected, Tim Hortons gained access to a highly engaged audience for further outreach. In fact, 23% of participants willingly shared their contact information, providing a direct line for ongoing engagement and future promotions.

Case Study: Illinois & Coca-Cola Trivia Engagement

Illinois and Coca-Cola partnered to engage basketball fans throughout the year with a weekly trivia game powered by CUE’s TriviaMania. This activation offered fans an entertaining way to stay connected to their favorite team while also giving Coca-Cola a platform to interact with a highly engaged audience.

The results were impressive: 89% of participants shared their email addresses, and 95% opted into marketing messages. This not only helped Coca-Cola grow their CRM but also led to an increase in season ticket sales for Illinois. By offering fans an interactive experience, both the team and the sponsor were able to benefit from deeper fan engagement and stronger marketing opportunities.

Case Study: Cincinnati Bengals “Light Up the Jungle” Campaign

The Cincinnati Bengals' "Light Up the Jungle" campaign, powered by a CUE fan-driven light show, created a truly unique experience that resonated both in the stadium and beyond.

Sponsored by Swift, the campaign achieved record app usage with 6,000 new app downloads in 24 hours and significantly boosted Swift’s brand exposure during a highly shared and talked-about game moment.

So How Do We Make This All Happen with CUE?

Those results speak for themselves! But let’s take a look behind the curtain and explore the tools CUE offers to help you replicate those success stories.

Here’s a Quick Rundown of CUE’s Lineup of Sponsorship Tools:

One of the key advantages to moving your sponsorship placements off of banners and onto an interactive, digital platform is that these sponsor-driven activations give remote fans a chance to tap into the action and sponsorship perks offer them incentive to participate even from afar. This allows you to extend your sponsors' reach beyond the stadium walls, tapping into a much larger audience.

LightShow
Turn your fans' phones into part of the event with synchronized mobile phone light shows. By using fans' phone screens and flashlights, LightShow creates a one-of-a-kind, concert-like experience that gets everyone involved and creates a sense of camaraderie amongst fans. Sponsors can capitalize on these moments with branded visuals that keep their message front and center during the most exciting parts of the game.

Trivia Mania
Everyone loves a little friendly competition. Trivia Mania lets fans participate in live or on-demand trivia games via their mobile devices or on the stadium’s video boards. Whether they’re in-person at the stadium or watching from home, fans can test their knowledge and compete for prizes, all while interacting with your sponsor’s brand in a fun and engaging way.

FanSee
With a simple QR code scan, fans can stream live from their phones directly to the stadium's video boards. It’s the ultimate way to let fans feel connected to the event, whether they’re at the game or watching from their couch. Sponsors get to take part by driving calls to action through this live interaction.

PrizeIt
Make your event a prize party with PrizeIt. Fans participate in interactive games to win everything from coupons to branded merchandise from your sponsors. Rewards are sent directly to fans’ phones, making it an easy and exciting way to keep fans engaged and give sponsors more opportunities to drive brand loyalty.

Fanatic Filters
Let fans have a little fun with their facial expressions! Fanatic Filters use dynamic facial tracking to apply playful (and customizable!) filters to fans’ 15 minutes of fame on the jumbotron. These fun filters get more fans involved while sponsors enjoy prominent branding in these shareable fan moments.

PostUp
With PostUp, fans can easily upload their photos via QR code for a chance to be featured on the stadium’s video boards, social media, or event websites. Sponsors can then offer special promotions or giveaways tied to fan-generated content while the team collects valuable user generated content for future promotions and event marketing.

AR Prize Drop
Bring augmented reality into the mix with AR Prize Drop. Fans can point their phones at the field or stadium to watch virtual prizes drop into their laps. They can then collect these prizes—coupons, discounts, or even exclusive merchandise—sponsored by your partners. It’s a high-tech, highly interactive way to get fans engaged and excited, both in and out of the stadium.

CUE Also Offers Valuable Data and Insights for Future Event Sponsorships

Sports teams have an incredible opportunity to optimize their sponsorship packages and continue to produce successful event partnerships by analyzing the campaign metrics offered through the CUE digital fan engagement platform.

Insights gathered from past events play a key role in prepping for future sponsorship pitches and attracting lucrative partnerships for similar events in the future. Teams can use this data to attract the right sponsors and brand decision makers by showing how certain activations met event goals and which audience demographics were most engaged.

Tap Into Your Sponsorship Potential With CUE

Whether it's through jumbotron fan interactions, sponsor-driven contests, or activations that get your remote fanbase involved, CUE’s platform is designed to maximize the value of your partnerships and keep your sponsors coming back for more.

Ready to boost your sponsorship offerings?Get started with CUE today and take your sponsorships—and your fan engagement—to the next level. It’s a win-win!