Despite American sports attempting to expand their global reach, Ampere’s Sponsorship data reveals that in 2023, 84% of the sponsorship revenue in the top five American leagues (NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS, NHL) came from U.S companies. 

Of these leagues, the NHL had the highest share of international investment at 19% of its deal values; in comparison the NBA had 18%, the MLS had 16%, the MLB had 10%, and the NFL had 9%. Historically, both the NHL and NBA have also shown a strong effort in globalisation, which was spurred by the stronger global presence of ice hockey and basketball compared to baseball and American football. 

A significant factor which helped the NBA grow globally occurred with the 2002 entry of Yao Ming who single-handedly increased viewership and commercial opportunities between the NBA and China. This trend of international growth is now being further driven by the success of current NBA players such as Serbia’s Nikola Jokic and the Greek-Nigerian Giannis Antetokounmpo, highlighting the commercial influence of star players. As for the NHL, top international talents such as Germany’s Leon Draisaitl can partly explain the higher share of international sponsors, especially with 8% of its deal value coming from Germany. 

Currently, the NBA and its teams have 346 international sponsorship deals, around 40% of its sponsorship portfolio. From these deals, the NBA brings in approximately $450m per year, which is 150% more than the international deal revenue the MLB and MLS bring in, and nearly 80% more than the NFL.

A further example of how sponsorships can work in conjunction with NBA’s star players, is the Golden State Warriors’ deal with Japan’s Rakuten. Ampere’s data shows that the 44% of the Warriors’ sponsorship revenue comes from international deals, with $30m coming from the Rakuten deal alone. However, the true value of this deal becomes evident through the subsequent events, from Rakuten TV and NBA providing live coverage throughout the season to star player Steph Curry partnering with Rakuten to become a brand ambassador, ultimately positioning basketball as a mainstream sport in Japan. Ampere’s Media Analytics data further supports this, showing a 170% increase in content spend on sports rights in Japan from 2022 to 2024, around the same time the two parties renewed their partnership.

For the MLS, soccer’s global popularity could partly account for the higher proportion of international investment. However since Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi’s arrival to MLS side Inter Miami in 2022, its share of US-based sponsors decreased from 97% to 81% and the investment from international brands increased from $400k to $4m, while the club’s total sponsorship revenue increased from $12m in 2022 to $21m in 2024. Ampere’s SVoD Economics US data also captures this uplift in interest, showing that sign-ups to the MLS Season Pass increased by 141% in Jul 2023, following Messi’s arrival.

A similar trend can be seen with the MLB’s LA Dodgers after Japanese star Shohei Ohtani signed with them for the 2024 season, with the Dodgers’ international sponsorship investment increasing by $15m in the last year, and now accounting for 32% of its sponsorship portfolio. Since joining the MLB in 2018, Ohtani’s success and level of stardom has prompted a striking increase in Japanese sponsors. Ampere’s Sponsorship data shows that in the 2024/25 season, there are 22 Japanese sponsors in the MLB, six of which are sponsors for Ohtani’s current team.

Furthermore, sector analysis reveals that Japanese sponsorships in the MLB as a whole are coming from companies within the Automotive & Vehicles sector (Toyota and Lexus), followed by Consumer Electronics and Consumer Devices – sectors with traditionally lower spend in the league, highlighting the additional commercial opportunities Japanese companies are bringing to the MLB. As of 2024, Ampere estimates that the MLB makes approximately $56m per year from Japanese sponsors, accounting for 3% of the league’s total sponsorship revenue, showing significant potential for future growth. In addition, Ampere’s Sports Media Rights data further emphasises Ohtani’s impact on the MLB,  with a 63% increase in media rights revenue deriving from Japan.

It is not just non-US stars who are attracting new sponsors. Looking to the future, it is expected that the likes of Angel Reese and Caitlin Clarke will similarly impact the sponsorships landscape in the WNBA, especially with the growing popularity of women’s sports. The Indiana Fever - Clarke’s current team -  recently signed a new deal with Eli Lilly to be its jersey patch sponsor, and with the increased TV and social media coverage surrounding Clarke and the Fever, this deal will be one of the most valuable in the WNBA.

Here again, growth in sponsorship goes hand-in-hand with increased rights revenue: While the WNBA has seen a steady increase in media rights deals through the years, the recently signed, 11-year deal worth $200m per year with Disney, Amazon Prime Video, and NBCUniversal, marks a near-400% increase in media rights value coinciding with the arrival of the number one overall pick – Caitlin Clarke.

Such deals further emphasise the importance of star players and their impact on league and team revenue, beyond the confines of a field or court. Certain players have the profile and social power to influence a team’s commercial revenue and drive growth in markets which may have been previously unreachable. Although players of this calibre are rare, we are possibly witnessing an era of sport that is producing them at an unprecedented rate. With Victor Wembanyama entering the NBA, Clarke and Reese spearheading the WNBA, Ohtani breaking previously unimaginable records, and both the MLS and NFL expanding their global presence, the sponsorship portfolios of US sports teams and leagues are set to be completely reshaped.