2023-24 NHL Team Sponsorship Revenue Climbs 10%

by Wayne Friedman , June 6, 2024

NHL team sponsorship revenue is now 10% higher versus a year ago, at $1.4 billion -- and more than double the $623 million level set during the pandemic four years ago, according to SponsorUnited, a sports/entertainment research company.

Highest brand sponsorship for NHL teams is the financial services category, now about approximately $240 million per season.

Beverage-alcohol sponsorship is up to $118 million; automotive at $110 million; business services at $90 million; healthcare at $85 million; and retail at $80 million. The study says the average sponsorship spend across all categories is $50 million.

Top brands in terms of active deals: Electronic Artists, Discover, BioSteel, Adidas, Ticketmaster, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Bud Light, Coca-Cola and New Amsterdam Vodka.

Since 2021, the most successful teams in adding sponsorships have been Carolina Hurricanes and the Edmonton Oilers -- adding 30 or more sponsorship deals.

Vegas Golden Knights added up to 29 sponsorship deals; the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues added between 20 and 24 deals.

The report says 70% of NHL team sponsorships are from U.S.-based brands, with 19% from Canadian brands and 11% from other global brands. Thirty-three percent of NHL athletes are Canadian-based brands and almost 10% from global brands.

NHL continues to expand its global footprint; for the new season starting in 2024 fall, the league will have games in Czech Republic, Finland, and Germany.

The average cost of an NHL jersey patch sponsorship deal is $3.87 million while helmet signage deal averages $2.10 million. SponsorUnited said this past season there was 26 new helmet and primary jersey patch sponsorships. Six brands have invested in the NHL for the first time. Overall, 71 brands have jersey and helmet sponsorships.

SponsorUnited tracks over 360,000 brands, 1.8 million deals, and 16.9 million data points across sports, entertainment, media and talent.

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