LAST WEEK TODAY: WHERE DO YOU FIT IN THE INDUSTRY?

MISSING SPONSORSHIP NEWS?

Check out the blog every Monday for a weekly roundup of the past week's most exciting and industry-altering news. These stories cover December 10-16, 2018.

Every industry - including sponsorship - ebbs and flows (as much as marketers would much prefer otherwise). While most of our news this week centers around good news, it's important to remember that's not always the case (as evidenced by Team Sky's story). Similarly, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics continues to smash sponsorship records - as Paris and Los Angeles are also expected to do - but the Sochi Olympics didn't perform nearly as well in that sector. The US has the Big 4 leagues - but the MLS is growing. Will it be complementary, and inspire more spending, or will it begin to take away from other leagues?

1. Tokyo 2020 continues to show its a hot commodity - though this is a supplier (rather than sponsor) deal - as Aggreko wins $200m power contract.
2. The NFL also remains atop the sponsorship contract game as Intuit signs on with a multiyear deal.
3. Another week, another (two) esports stories:
   • Stateside, the Pittsburgh Steelers are following in the footsteps of several other pro sports teams to invest in pro esports team - the Pittsburgh Knights.
   • Meanwhile, this second deal is multinational: German apparel brand Adidas has partnered with Lyon EDG (a Chinese esports team backed by French Ligue 1 team Olympique Lyonnais).
4. #SponsorSpotlight was on Yeti last week. The brand's deal with NASCAR caught the most eyes.
5. Cycling saw a big shake-up last week. Sky, the UK broadcaster, decided to pull out of cycling sponsorship, leaving Team Sky looking for a sponsor willing to spend the same as their previous partner - if not more - to "guarantee" success.
6. Experiential marketing continues to be an important part of the marketing mix (as well as one that is often done in conjunction with sponsorship). Two XM stories from the last week were particularly interesting:
   • EventMarketer featured Canon's 'Portals' pop-up shop in NYC and Santa Monica. In the age of Instagram, we're not sure what could be more successful than teaching people to take better pictures - and giving them the opportunity to do so.
   • 2019 will likely see even more experiential and event marketing - Adweek reports that nearly 2/3 of marketers plan to spend more on live events next year.
7. Were you able to check out last week's blog? Tandem staffer Molly Morley went in-depth on a few 2018 sponsorship trends. Check it out.
8. Have you been following the rise of the MLS? Sponsorship engagement numbers are in from this year's MLS Cup - and they're great:

RT @lu_class_: Corporate Partnership in Action: Top 10 Most-Engaged Sponsors of #MLSCup⚽ #Marketing #SportBusiness https://t.co/6gRDmugElE pic.twitter.com/ECtkJ3imNT

— Tandem Partnerships (@be_tandem) December 15, 2018

Did we miss any? Tweet @be_tandem to let us know - we hate being behind the times just as much as you do.

Look out next Monday for the usual round-up on sponsorship news.