In the high-octane world of Formula 1, a team's livery—the design and color scheme of its race cars—serves as a showstopping marketing tool that shapes brand visibility, fan engagement, and sponsorship activation. In the run-up to the US Grand Prix 2024 this past weekend in Austin––won by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc––teams including Alpine, Haas, and McLaren unveiled singular liveries for the occasion. Let’s explore how teams use their visual identities to build brand equity and connect with fans and sponsors in the world’s most-watched motorsport.

F1 cars are fast-moving billboards––and revamping their design for specific races helps refresh team identities while spotlighting new sponsors and unique partnerships. Take Haas F1, the only American-owned team on the grid, whose US Grand Prix 2024 livery showcased its proud US roots. Iconic American symbols like the bald eagle and a red-and-white star motif nod to both the brand’s home turf and American motorsport culture, championing Haas as a formidable force in domestic and international racing.

Meanwhile, McLaren reintroduced its iconic Chrome livery for the US Grand Prix, promoting its "Chrome Shines Again" campaign in partnership with Google. This modern twist on a fan-favorite design––featuring flashy chrome accents and creative placements of Google’s logo, and reflecting both brands’ commitment to innovation––resonates with longtime McLaren supporters while engaging newer fans. 

A striking livery change can also create cross-industry buzz. Case in point: Alpine’s collaboration with Xbox, promoting the upcoming release of the Indiana Jones and the Great Circle game in December. The livery featured an ancient map and a “sunset orange” color scheme that references the iconic film series, as well as the game’s title emblazoned on the vehicle––linking entertainment, gaming, and motorsport, while tapping into diverse audiences and spurring media coverage that extends beyond the usual F1 fanbase.

Sponsors often leverage livery revamps as prime opportunities to align themselves with a cause and convey a key message, extending teams’ and sponsors’ reach and creating meaningful brand experiences for fans. Aston Martin Aramco’s latest livery emphasizes its "Generation 3" campaign––spotlighting innovations in motorsport technology and materials, and the team’s push towards sustainability and future-facing engineering. 

In a circuit full of high-profile racing brands, livery change-ups also help teams stand out both in the paddock and on the track. Williams Racing's fan-designed rear wing––featuring six fan digital alter egos, and unveiled at Sunday’s race in partnership with cryptocurrency exchange Kraken––showcases an innovative approach to fan engagement. By allowing fans to directly contribute to the car's design––thanks to its second annual Rear Wing Takeover Contest,  announced in September––Williams taps into the passion and creativity of its supporters, boosting fan loyalty and sourcing a fresh look for its cars in the process.

With F1’s popularity continuing to soar stateside––and three US races, including Austin, now on the calendar––teams understand that America is a hub for global brands and sponsorship opportunities whose significance defies overstatement. The visibility fueled by livery change-ups for US events, both on the track and across media platforms, drives success for teams and sponsors in one of Formula 1’s most pivotal and promising markets.

Since its debut nearly 75 years ago, Formula 1 has championed unrivaled speed, cutting-edge technology, and relentless innovation. And as the pulse-pounding sport continues to evolve while its audience grows, so does its complex sponsorship universe. 

Formula 1's ambitious sustainability agenda—namely, its commitment to achieving a net zero carbon footprint by 2030—has been one of the sport’s most notable undertakings in recent years. While its first Impact Report (published in April) revealed that F1 reduced its carbon footprint by 13% between 2018 and 2022, further action is needed to meet its goal, including a burgeoning focus on the logistics sector, which accounts for almost half of F1’s carbon footprint. 

Several sponsors, including Germany’s DHL Group, have aligned themselves with F1’s sustainability mission. The logistics titan renewed its partnership with F1 in February, extending its role as the sports Official Logistics Partner and marking its 20th anniversary as F1’s longest-standing Global Partner. DHL’s key sustainability-focused initiatives include doubling its biofuel-powered truck fleet this year—which reduces logistics-related carbon emissions by an average of 83% per truck compared to diesel-driven vehicles—and introducing more fuel-efficient aircraft. 

Meanwhile, Salesforce, the world’s #1 transport and logistics CRM platform and an F1 Global Partner since 2022, joined forces with F1 to enhance fan engagement while offering actionable insights to help accelerate the sport’s journey to carbon neutrality. And Spanish banking giant Santander, a Scuderia Ferrari partner, launched the Santander X Global Challenge in 2022, a competition designed to promote sustainable business solutions. 

As America’s fervor for Formula 1 continues to surge—the Miami Grand Prix 2024 attracted the largest US television audience on record with 3.1M viewers—so does interest from US brands racing to get in on the action. American companies now comprise 25% of all F1 sponsors, with powerhouse brands like American Express, Paramount+, and Salesforce signing on since 2022. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has emerged as a key player in the Middle East, overtaking UAE brands with three major sponsors: Aramco, STC, and Qiddiya.

Against this backdrop, F1 has seen a consolidation trend in its sponsorship landscape, with a 30% decline in sponsors over the past two years, coupled with a halving of single-asset deals this year versus 2023. While fewer brands are investing in F1, remaining sponsors are doubling down on their commitment. There has been a 20% increase in the number of assets per partnership—resulting in a more concentrated group of high-impact, deep-pocketed sponsors.

On the category front, technology continues to lead F1 sponsors by number of deals, while growing its share of total sponsorships in the sport from 14.5% to 17.5% since 2022. That means approximately every sixth F1 asset has been sponsored by a tech brand this year. Companies like Oracle, AWS, and Salesforce see F1 as a peerless platform to showcase pioneering innovations that align with the sport's organically tech-driven environment. 

The tourism category—led by brands like Las Vegas Tourism, Bonjour Québec, and Yas Island—has surged thanks to travel’s massive post-pandemic rebound, with a 75% increase in the number of sponsored assets over the last two years. The cruise lines and travel tours subcategory, which counts Explora Journeys and MSC Cruises among its F1 partners, has seen a 14% rise in sponsored assets. 

‍

Over the last 12 months, we’ve tracked more than 6,000+ brands that have raced into the pulse-pounding world of motorsports marketing. Let’s shift into gear for a closer look at this high-octane, high-profile arena.  

NASCAR teams took the pole position in the last year, attracting nearly 900 unique brand sponsors collectively. F1 follows closely with more than 400+ brands on board across its 10 clubs, while IndyCar and MotoGP battle it out for third place with an impressive 350+ total brands each. 

Chevrolet scored the top spot with the most sponsorship deals across NASCAR teams,  but came in a close second in IndyCar, trailing Firestone. The American car manufacturer partners with more than 20 NASCAR teams including Hendricks Motorsports and Kaulig Racing, and 8 IndyCar teams––Arrow McLaren and Team Penske among them. Meanwhile, tire companies lead the way on the international stage. As F1’s Global Tyre Partner for more than 12 years (and counting), Pirelli dominates the sport with 11 deals, while Michelin rules the roost in MotoGP.

Top exposure assets for brands varied across circuits. In NASCAR, 319 brands bought the Rear Vehicle Panel, emblazoning their logos on the back of speeding vehicles for fans worldwide to see. F1 saw the Practice Jersey Patch take center stage for 116 sponsors, offering high visibility during pre-race hype. Pit Stop Signage proved most popular in MotoGP, as 130 brands clamored for visibility during lightning-speed tune-ups. And in IndyCar, 81 advertisers embraced the Jersey Sleeve Logo, ensuring constant exposure throughout the race.

While NASCAR boasts the most brands buying sponsorships or media, fast-growing Formula 1 reigns supreme in total engagement across social media, roaring past the competition with a staggering 209M interactions. MotoGP takes second place with a respectable 53M, leaving IndyCar and NASCAR in the dust at a distant third and fourth with 7M and 800K interactions, respectively––demonstrating that sponsorship numbers don't always correlate directly with fans’ social media engagement.

NASCAR racing’s high-octane excitement is set to zoom back into action at the Daytona 500 this weekend, marking the adrenaline-fueled start of the sport’s season. Industry watchers will be keen to see if this year’s auto industry sponsorships of the Daytona International Speedway––a hallowed ground for motorsport enthusiasts––will surpass those of last year’s event, when 13 auto brands such as Axalta, Toyota and Chevrolet, revved their engines in sponsorship deals at the track––an impressive 15% of the 2023 race’s total partnerships. Their prominence highlights the huge role the auto industry plays in the NASCAR ecosystem, driving both the on-track action and business behind the scenes.

Intriguingly, the current NASCAR sponsorship landscape is a relatively challenging one for auto brands eager to strike a deal within this pulse-pounding sport. Only 28% of NASCAR rights holders currently have a vacancy for an auto brand––a scarcity that underscores the hyper-competitive nature of the category, where nearly 400 brands have already clinched sponsorship or media deals across NASCAR teams and tracks. 

Delving deeper into NASCAR auto partnerships, the aftermarket—specifically, Parts & Equipment—emerges as the top sub-category, boasting more than 300 sponsorship deals and underscoring NASCAR's integral connection with car maintenance, performance enhancement, and the broader automotive lifestyle. Services & Repair and US Car Manufacturers comprise the other two of the top five sub-categories that fall under the auto umbrella within NASCAR. The category’s broad diversification reflects the car industry’s intrinsic engagement with the racing series, from the production line to the pit stop. Of the more than 7K auto brands with a sponsorship or media deal worldwide, 5% have a presence within NASCAR, showcasing the sport's burgeoning appeal and strategic value for auto brands keen to grow their profile and market presence, and connect with dedicated fans worldwide.

‍

Netflix is gearing up for the January 30th premiere of “NASCAR: Full Speed,” its latest sports docuseries, as the network strives to recreate the dazzling success of its runaway hit “Formula 1: Drive to Survive,” which captivated audiences and is largely credited with fueling F1’s skyrocketing popularity in the US. 

Netflix’s ever-expanding sports docuseries lineup—which also includes successful ventures into the NFL, the PGA, and FIFA, among others—is reshaping not just the viewership landscape of these sports, but also the brand exposure of their respective sponsors. If history is any guide, the series is set to seriously boost both NASCAR’s visibility on the world stage, and the reach of its brand partners: in just its first two weeks of release in March 2022, the 4th season of “Drive to Survive” generated an astonishing $42.2M in sponsorship exposure value per Navigate.

All of this spells great news for NASCAR sponsors. The new series will spotlight drivers including Ross Chastain, William Byron, Denny Hamlin, and Ryan Blaney, whose combined sponsorship portfolio numbers more than 40 brands having a deal, with brands including Menards, Advance Auto Parts, and Discount Tire (Blaney); FedEx, Toyota, and Interstate Batteries (Hamlin); and Chevrolet, Valvoline, and Axalta (Byron). Moving beyond logo placement on a car or uniform, these docuseries create compelling narratives that foster deeper engagement with a global audience—humanizing these athletes and by extension, the brands they represent. 

With reports running rampant in recent weeks of a new Netflix NBA docuseries in the works—highlighting LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, and Jimmy Butler—the key takeaway for “would-be sponsors” is clear: aligning with sports leagues and athletes squarely in Netflix’s sights—and with buzzy up-and-coming leagues that could be future prospects (pickleball, PWHL, Padel anyone?)—offers virtually immeasurable upside in the long run. 

Last weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix marked the end of the 2023 Formula One season. As F1 fever continues to sweep the US following the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 17, one of the lesser-known stories is the sport’s remarkable surge in partnerships with US brands, which currently comprise more than 45% of US or European F1 partnerships (F1 + F1 Teams), closing in on European brands. Since Liberty Media took the F1 helm in 2017, the number of US brands sponsoring the circuit and its teams has more than doubled, to over 110 in 2023. Assuming the current trajectory continues, US sponsors could surpass their European counterparts in just two years.

As the Global Tire Partner of F1 since 2011, Pirelli leads the list of sponsors with the most deals, supplying tires to all 10 teams. The Italian brand recently extended its partnership through at least 2027. Five brands–Alpha Tauri, Alpinestars, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, Puma and Riedel–tie for second with three sponsorships each, while Amazon Web Services (AWS), Crypto.com, and Salesforce are among the more than 15 brands in third place, with two deals.

McLaren F1 Team takes pole position with the most endorsements this season, partnering with 57 brands–a remarkable 45% of which are US-based, including Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Google Chrome, and New Era. Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake trails closely with 54 sponsorships. Oracle Red Bull Racing, the 2023 Formula 1 Constructors’ Champions, takes third with 47 sponsorship deals–Blenders Eyewear, Therabody, and Walmart among them.

Rolex enjoyed the enviable distinction as the brand with the most race naming rights partnerships, sponsoring the Australian GP, Austrian GP, and Brazilian GP. Just three of the season’s 22 races–the Azerbaijan GP Mexican GP, and Monaco GP–conspicuously lacked a title sponsor.

‍

The 2023 NASCAR season wrapped up in thrilling fashion on November 5th at Phoenix Raceway, with Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney winning his first championship in a high-octane finish. After starting in the 15th spot, he drove a masterful race to take second place behind Ross Chastain, and just one point ahead of Kyle Larson in the final standings. Brands including Menards, Wurth Group, and Dutch Boy sponsored Blaney’s No. 12 Ford Mustang during the final race. Nearly 1,400 brands bought sponsorships or media in NASCAR teams this season—the sport’s 75th—an average of 30 deals per team.

Chevrolet team Alpha Prime Racing led NASCAR teams with 79 sponsorships—ForeverLawn, Shinewater, and Big Green Egg among them—followed by B.J. McLeod Motorsports with 77 partnerships, including RTIC Coolers, Liquid Death, and DUDE Products. Richard Childress Racing earned the third spot on the podium with 74 deals.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team, Young's Motorsports, added a dazzling 32 new  brand partnerships in the 2023 season—a 356% increase from last year’s nine deals. With 30 sponsorships, Chevrolet topped the list of brands with the most deals with NASCAR teams, followed by WIX Filters at 25, and Mechanix Wear with 21.

A notable 76% of brands opted for exposure assets when sponsoring NASCAR teams this season, with the Vehicle Rear Panel outselling all others at 950, trailed by the Vehicle Front Hood with more than 630 assets sold, and the Vehicle Rear Deck/Spoiler taking third place at over 350 sold.

More than 1,000 brands bought sponsorship or media at NASCAR tracks in 2023, with World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) in St. Louis leading the pack with 136 partnerships. Indianapolis Motor Speedway ranked a distant second with 83 sponsorships—including high-profile linkups like Advance Auto Parts, Firestone, and GEICO—followed by Las Vegas Motor Speedway with 74 deals. GEICO partnered with the most race tracks this season, sponsoring 25 different properties, followed by Safety-Kleen and Sunoco with 24 each. RV manufacturer THOR Industries is the latest brand to join the ranks of NASCAR track sponsors, partnering with more than 10 tracks this season.

As Formula 1 prepares for its summer break, which begins after this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, Oracle Red Bull Racing has plenty to celebrate. The team has won all 11 races so far this season, breaking the world record for consecutive wins previously held by McLaren since 1988. Max Verstappen took the top spot in nine—an astonishing achievement—while his teammate Checo Pérez raced to victory in the other two.

Not surprisingly, the Austrian team’s sponsorship stable is robust, featuring 45 deals with brands including Castore (jersey supplier) and Tequila Patron (official spirits partner). Oracle Red Bull’s social media posts have engaged 6.7M users across 76 unique posts—including its top post, on Instagram featuring a photoshoot of Verstappen and Pérez before their home race in Austria, which scored a total engagement of 731K.

Superstar Verstappen, whose marketability soars with every new victory, has eight sponsorships, Red Bull and Heineken among them. His deal with Dutch grocery chain Jumbo Supermarkten is set to expire at this season’s end–creating a prime open opportunity for another brand to partner with the red-hot driver, one of F1’s most popular figures. His social posts have engaged 8.5M users in the last 12 months, led by an Instagram post following his Drivers’ Championship win last season that racked up 1.6M engagements.  

While Red Bull has dominated F1 so far this year, the battle for second place is heating up. Aston Martin, Ferrari, and Mercedes are all in contention, with McLaren steadily climbing the leaderboard after its excellent results in the last three races.

Speaking of McLaren, one of the biggest surprises so far this season has been the return of Daniel Ricciardo to Formula 1, following his departure from the team last year. A longtime sensation on the grid, the Australian driver—who made his first race for AlphaTauri in Hungary last weekend—currently has 13 endorsement deals, garnering a total engagement of 7.1M on his social media accounts with just 14 posts during his short break from the circuit. With his high-profile return, expect to see enterprising brands vying to partner with him as his comeback continues.

‍

Without a doubt, the hotly anticipated Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix 2023 on May 5-7 will fuel the flames of F1 fever spreading worldwide, and spotlight the dynamism of the entire motorsports industry. As millions of F1 fans gear up for the big event, the sport’s breathtaking momentum seems virtually unstoppable, especially stateside. Last year’s season became the first in U.S. television history to average 1 million or more viewers per race, while the inaugural Miami Grand Prix 2022 was the most-viewed live F1 telecast ever in America, attracting a record 2.6 million average viewers.

F1 isn’t alone in its dazzling ascent: demand for motorsports is growing globally, thanks to the burgeoning appeal of racing events everywhere–led by F1, NASCAR, IndyCar, and MotoGP–as well as expanding viewership and rising popularity among younger audiences. These factors are fueling investment, as motorsports innovate and adapt to the evolving preferences of fans and sponsors alike.

Sponsors are racing to grab a piece of the action. Motorsport athletes inked deals with 84% more brands last year than in 2021–a sure sign that their marketability as top-tier pro athletes is soaring with their global profiles. Sponsorship deals in F1, IndyCar, and NASCAR rose 26%, 13%, and 8% last year, respectively, while MotoGP partnerships grew a whopping 32%.

Against this thriving backdrop, emerging opportunities abound for brands keen to stake a claim in this high-octane industry. F1’s and NASCAR’s commitments to net-zero operating emissions by 2030 and 2035, respectively–along with growth of all-electric racing series, Formula E–are paving the way for green-minded brands across industries to forge high-impact, eco-driven sponsorships. Meanwhile, the 55% rise in sponsorships of emerging North American motorsports (dirt bike and sports car racing among them) underscores fans’ appetite for new circuits, and opens the door for enterprising brands to partner with alternative properties on the ground floor.

As motorsports around the globe shift into overdrive, we’re excited to unveil our 2022-2023 Motorsports Marketing Report. Authored jointly by SponsorUnited’s Marketing Research & Insights, Analytics and Marketing teams, it delivers an in-depth analysis of more than 4,200 brands, 200 athletes, and 2,900 social posts between teams and drivers, from November, 2021, through April, 2023.

‍

With the 2023 NASCAR and F1 seasons having recently roared back into gear, tire brands are again taking center stage at the race track. In the last 12 months there have been more than 125 tire brands buying sponsorships or media across all properties, averaging 6 sponsorship deals each. Twenty-six percent of all tire brands with at least 1 sponsorship or media deal have a partnership with a motorsports property.

Continental ranks first by sponsorship volume with 102 deals, including partnerships with the Tour de France and MLS, among others. Bridgestone follows as a relatively distant second with 70 partnerships, while Michelin is third with 47 deals. Pirelli Tire, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Hankook, Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, Balkrishna Industries Limited (BKT), Toyo Tires, and Nexen Tire round out the top 10 brands, in that order.

Social posts lead the list of most frequently bought assets. Toyo Tires’ branded Instagram post with UFC, welcoming Khabib Nurmagomedov to the UFC Hall of Fame, scored the most engagement, while the partnership between the International Cricket Council and MRF Tyres performed best among social campaigns, engaging 13.2M across 521 total posts. Property entitlements, digital content, TV-visible signage, and brand exposure are other assets popular with tire makers.

Among Italy’s most storied companies, Pirelli Tire has been a motorsport mainstay since 1907, and the exclusive global official tyre partner of the FIA Formula One World Championship since 2011, having inked a one-year extension with F1 last year.

With one of the longest-running relationships in racing history, dating back to 1954, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and NASCAR announced a new multi-year agreement last December, renewing Goodyear as the exclusive tire supplier for NASCAR’s top three national series.

As Formula 1 fever continues to run rampant around the world, the sport is racing full-throttle into the 2023 season with the announcement of three new elite partnerships.

Just this week (2/28), F1 unveiled a 15-year strategic partnership with London football team Tottenham Hotspur that will bring a brand-new motorsport experience to London: the construction of the world’s first in-stadium electric karting facility and the city’s longest indoor track, slated to open below the cutting-edge Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Fall ‘23.

The partnership ushers yet another top-tier global sport brand to the stadium, which uniquely plays host to the Premier League, the NFL, F1, concerts, rugby, and boxing. The deal could be a game-changer, raising the possibility that other European football teams will open their stadiums to additional sports and activities in the future.

This news comes hot on the heels of F1’s February 22nd announcement that Qatar Airways will become the sport’s new Global Airline Partner, and will sponsor three Grand Prix this year in Qatar, Italy, and Hungary. The deal includes trackside and digital branding that will be showcased to the global F1 audience. Formula 1’s partnership with Emirates last season included assets like fixed groundscape, archway, TV visible signage and more; whether the Qatar deal will feature similar activations remains to be seen.

F1 also announced a three-year partnership with United Nations children’s charity UNICEF on February 10th. The single-seater world championship will support UNICEF’s education initiatives, as well as its humanitarian responses to disasters and emergencies.

A look back at the 2022 F1 Season:

This triumvirate of buzzy news may foretell an even bigger year for F1 in 2023 than 2022, which saw more than 420 brands buying sponsorships and media with the high-octane fan favorite.

Storied Italian brand Pirelli Tire led the pack last season with the most F1 sponsorship deals, partnering with the sport and its 10 teams. PUMA, Alpinestars, Red Bull and Siemens tied for second place with a total of 3 deals each, while Honda, Riedel, Sabelt, AlphaTauri, and Mercedes-AMG round out the top 10 list with 2 sponsorships apiece. The most common assets bundled into deals included property entitlements, digital content, brand exposure, social posts and property products/services.

F1 teams had a branded post with 270 brands to 3.9K unique posts on social media, generating 112M total engagements–averaging 418K engagements per deal and 29K per post. Mercedes-AMG Petronas ranked first in engagement with 55M–49% of the ten teams’ total engagement combined.

Formula 1 itself counted more than 50 sponsor deals. As for teams, McLaren took the top spot for most partnerships, inking more than 60 deals last season with brands including OKX, Dell Technologies, and Google (Alphabet). BWT Alpine and Alfa Romeo Stake tied for second place with 47 sponsorships each–edging out third-place Oracle Red Bull Racing by only one deal.

Daniel Ricciardo scored pole position in drivers’ deals with 14 sponsorships, partnering with brands like GoPro, Optus, and Beats by Dre. Sergio “Checo” Perez earned the second spot with 11 sponsor deals, and seven-time F1 World Champion, Sir Lewis Hamilton–the most followed driver across all social media, with a combined following of 45.3M–took third place with 10 endorsements.

The Daytona 500 will take place this Sunday, marking the official start of the NASCAR regular season–when fans and corporate sponsors will flock to Daytona International Speedway for what is gearing up to be another Great American Race. As the season kicks off, let’s take a look at the sponsors of last year's podium finishers and the race overall.

Rookie Austin Cindric won the Daytona 500 last year, driving the No.2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang to victory for Team Penske. The logos of team sponsors Pennzoil, Autotrader, and Sunoco were also showcased on the car. Team Penske was active on social media in 2022, scoring a total engagement of 447K with 39 brand partners across 824 posts.

Trailing Cindric by just 0.036 seconds, Bubba Wallace placed second for the second time in his career in 2022, behind the wheel of the No. 23 McDonald’s Toyota for the 23XI Racing team. Wallace leads last year's podium finishers in sponsorships with 16 brand deals. He also maintained a high profile on social media, partnering with 14 brands to drive total engagement of 620,840 across 189 posts–almost twice that of his team 23XI Racing, which engaged 340K with 467 posts.

Four of last year’s top 5 drivers drove Ford cars–including third-place finisher Chase Briscoe who drove the No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing. The team generated a total engagement of 1M with 38 brand partners across 908 posts.

The 2022 Daytona 500 included the following activations:

• University of Northwestern Ohio— On-Track Signage

• Ruoff Mortgage— Area Naming Rights, Winners Podium: “Ruoff Mortgage Victory Lane”

• GEICO Restart Zone, GEICO Campground

• Busch Light—Presenting Sponsor of Qualifying Rounds, large blow-up can on display

• Rolex— Large Fixed Billboard

• Advent Health— Lower Bowl Fixed Billboard, On-Track Signage

• Sunoco— Entryway (naming rights), Lower Bowl Fixed Billboard

• Wendy’s Pit Stop

• Ford Motor Company— Towing Cars

Gentlemen, start your engines–the 2023 NASCAR season kicks off this Sunday with the Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum in Los Angeles. How will this year’s sponsorships stack up vs. 2022? Let’s review last year’s stats.

Fittingly, the Auto category was the most active during the 2022 season, totaling 388 sponsorships with NASCAR teams. Construction & Industrial took the second spot with 289 partnerships, followed by Business Services with 111 deals.

Within the Auto category, Chevrolet secured 27 sponsorships–the most deals of any brand overall in NASCAR. WIX Filters followed with 20 deals, while Mobil1 was #3 with 17 sponsor deals.

More than 1,500 brands bought sponsorships and media across NASCAR teams, with Chevrolet, Mechanix Wear, and WIX Filters leading the list (in that order). B.J. McLeod Motorsports had 91 sponsorships–the most of any NASCAR team, which averaged 28 deals per property. Alpha Prime Racing was #2 with 65 deals, followed by Spire Motorsports with 59.

Within NASCAR race tracks, there were 971 active brands buying sponsorships / media last year, led by GEICO (24), Xfinity (23), and Safety Kleen (20) in the top 3 spots. The average number of deals per track was 40.

In the all-important social media space, Hendrick Motorsports led the list of most followed NASCAR teams, with 2.3M followers across all platforms in 2022. Joe Gibbs Racing ranked second with a gross following of 1.7M, while Stewart-Haas Racing landed in third place with 1.4M.

The 1,500-plus brands that partnered with NASCAR teams engaged 21M followers cumulatively in 2022, while the 971 NASCAR track brand partners had a combined total engagement of 1.5M.

As NASCAR continues its rise in popularity, new categories have begun to open up. For the 2023 season, Cabo Wabo was named the first-ever Official Tequila of NASCAR and will also sponsor Daytona International Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Michigan International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.

Kevin Harvick won his second-straight Cup on Sunday during the NASCAR's Richmond Fall Race.

Harvick partners with 12 brands, including deals with Xfinity,

Subway, Rheem Manufacturing, Campers Inn RV, and Busch Beer.

The Enjoy Illinois 300 Presented by Ticketsmarter took place Sunday and kept NASCAR fans on the edge of their seats. This was the first Cup Series NASCAR Race held at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway and it did not disappoint. It was an exciting event that finished with an overtime shootout won by Joey Logano, achieving his 60th career win in his 15 years of racing. Lagano has Pennzoil as a main sponsor along with a hit list of brands that includes Shell, AAA & Ford.

World Wide Tech became the raceway title sponsor in 2019 and during the event there was a large amount of brands present in-venue, most of which have a direct tie to the midwest. Brands had a huge presence through the speedway (not just on the cars) so which brands were present?

Present via signage &activations were Ameren Illinois, Bommarito Automotive Group, C.A. Jones, Illinois Office of Tourism, Scott Credit Union, SSM Health, and of course World Wide Technology. Outside of the race itself, many of the brand activations draw their own attention from fans attending the raceway from tabling to interactive activities present throughout the venue. Some big brands activating on race day include Enterprise Rent-A-Car, GEICO, Toyota Racing, Oakley, McDonald's, and State Farm. Brands also have exposure through the drivers themselves, mostly through the branding on the cars themselves.

It’s no surprise that the best way to get brand exposure is to have your driver finish 1st. However, for this past Cup Series race, it pays to be partners with the top 5 finishers: Joey Logano x Pennzoil, Kyle Busch x Snickers, Kurt Busch x Monster Energy, Ryan Blaney x Dent Wizard, and Aric Almirola x Ford.

Sunday saw Max Verstappen win the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. After their home race, we compare the two Spanish drivers - Carlos Sainz of Scuderia Ferrari and Fernando Alonso of BWT Alpine.

The 2022 Formula 1 Miami Crypto.Com Grand Prix was an event not to be missed! Even with soaring ticket prices, over 85k fans were in attendance from all parts of the globe. In typical Miami fashion, the Grand Prix featured sponsored events and activities only Miami could produce. Inclusive of  week-long events and waterfront activations.

Here’s what you missed…

The spectating area was divided into 4 “campuses,” North, South, East, and West.

After visiting the North Campus, fans were able to walk towards the South Campus, which featured a variety of activation, including Ferrari, Crypto.com, and McLaren, Bal Harbour Shops, among others. This area seemed to be geared towards suites and a more upscale ambiance and audience.

From drop off at gate 13, fans walked into the North Campus, which included activities from Red Bull, ESPN and Gainbridge, among many other merchandise, food, and drink vendors.

The East Campus and Marina provided a unique vibe, with yachts and a large club sponsored by MSC Cruises. This was one of the main focal points of the layout and was definitely a talking point.

There were also some other activations around the track from AutoNation, Flor De Cana, Heineken, Hard Rock, just to name a few.

The Miami GP was a massive success for the city as well as Formula 1 itself. Next stop, Vegas!

With the GEICO 500 NASCAR Cup Series race taking place this weekend, we take a look at GEICO's sponsorship and media activity outside of the big race.

GEICO has 300+ sponsorship deals across 80+ different leagues/associations.

The first race of the F1 season took place this past Sunday at the Bahrain International Circuit. Scuderia Ferrari won the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix in a one-two finish with teammates Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz on Sunday. The team has over 25 sponsors currently, with over 15M social media followers ranking 3rd across all F1 teams. 50% of the auto brands the team partners with are in the Aftermarket - Parts & Equipment sub-category.

Among F1 teams, Scuderia Ferrari ranks 5th in terms of sponsorship deals. At the race there were over 10 brands having a presence during the broadcast as well as with signage at the track.

Throughout the Bahrain International Circuit, Crypto.com had over five assets between the broadcast and venue after recently signing a deal with F1 entering this season. Signage included the Archway, Barrier, a fixed and rotating billboard as well as naming rights to the podium where the top finishers are presented.

Rolex has been a sponsor of F1 since 2013 and receives tons of exposure during races. As the Official Timepiece of F1, Rolex began the season with eight assets between the broadcast and venue. Similar to Crypto.com, Rolex can be seen with the similar assets while also having a Fixed Groundscape as well as having the event clock signage.

Sunday was the first race of the 2022 MotoGP season, with Bastianini taking the victory in Qatar.

The Qatar Tourism Authority showcased many assets in their home GP, along with a variety of other brands activating.