Given the commercial success of North America's sports leagues, it comes as no surprise that some of the most valuable sports teams worldwide are American franchises. At the top of the pile are the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, whose brand value in 2021 amounted to 5.7 billion U.S. dollars. As a league, the NFL's sponsorship revenue amounted to 1.62 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, representing an almost twofold increase since 2010. The National Basketball Association has seen its sponsorship revenue follow a similar upward trajectory, reaching 1.46 billion U.S. dollars in the 2020/21 season.
A newer member to the sports sponsorship game is eSports. This is certainly a growing market for advertisers and sponsors to tap into, as eSports market revenue is forecast to exceed 1.62 billion U.S. dollars by 2024. Moreover, revenue from eSports sponsorship and media rights reached 822 million U.S. dollars in 2020 and is forecast to grow another 50 percent by 2023. Some of the main industries already investing sponsorship money in eSports include consumer goods, technology, and clothing.
