Crypto Players Are Rewriting Sports Sponsorship

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For decades, sport has served as a powerful platform for advertising a wide range of goods and services, from everyday consumer products to luxury brands, from cars to food. Since 2022, however, the landscape of sports sponsorship has been reshaping dynamically, as sports organizations increasingly team up with crypto firms. This returning and rapidly evolving trend has been analyzed by the BITmarkets crypto exchange.

Football, the world’s most popular sport, remains at the center of this transformation. It continues to lead marketing cooperation between sports organizations and crypto-asset companies, including exchanges, service providers, and other entities connected to defi. Formula 1 ranks second globally in crypto-related sports sponsorship activity, followed by basketball and the UFC, the leading MMA representative.

According to the analysis, the crypto and Web3 sector has shown considerable resilience and renewed momentum in its engagement with the sports market. Market estimates indicate that crypto-related sports sponsorship spending rose by approximately 20% year-on-year, surpassing $550 million during the 2024/25 season. This rebound comes after the so-called “crypto winter” of 2022/23, a period marked by declining sponsorship activity, when spending declined from an estimated peak of around $680 million. The recovery points to renewed confidence within the sector and a more deliberate, strategic approach to sports partnerships.

Looking ahead, this trend appears set to continue. The sports sponsorship market involving blockchain companies is projected to reach approximately $5 billion by 2026. At the same time, the broader blockchain-in-sports market is expected to expand from $2 billion in 2024 to approximately $10 billion by 2035, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 15.5% between 2025 and 2035. These projections suggest that blockchain and crypto engagement in sports is developing into a long-term theme rather than a short-lived trend.

Despite this renewed momentum, crypto sponsorships are not without challenges. The crypto-asset market remains highly volatile, and regulatory uncertainty persists in many jurisdictions. In addition, the effects of the 2022–2023 market downturn continue to shape perceptions of risk across the sector.

While the sports industry appears ready to give crypto another opportunity, it does so with the understanding that the sector is maturing and that crypto firms are increasingly adhering to regulatory frameworks.

For sports clubs, teams, and governing bodies, reputational considerations remain central when entering sponsorship agreements with crypto-asset companies. Although such partnerships can deliver substantial commercial and branding benefits, they also carry risks that must be carefully evaluated as part of any long-term sponsorship strategy.

About BITmarkets

BITmarkets is a cryptocurrency exchange that offers 24/7 support in more than 14 languages. Traders can engage in trading over 200 cryptocurrencies, as well as gain access to daily market updates and diverse educational materials. Security is a top priority at BITmarkets, with 99.9% of client funds held in cold storage. BITmarkets continues to reshape the way digital assets are used by both retail and institutional clients, focusing on making cryptocurrency more accessible, straightforward, and better connected to the broader fintech world. Learn more about BITmarkets’ license and regulatory framework, and for general information, visit www.bitmarkets.com or the exchange’s listing on CoinMarketCap.com.

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