• by Wayne Friedman , Yesterday

With focus on rising sports media and marketing efforts, NHL team sponsorship revenue climbed 9% year-over-year to $1.5 billion for the 2024-25 season, according to SponsorUnited.

The average sponsorship deal is now at $529,000. Overall sponsorship revenue for the league is up 20% since the 2022-23 TV season.

It notes 500 new brands have made deals with the league year-over-year -- with finance (up 8%), business services (18%), and automotive brands (8%) accounting for one-third of the new sponsorship money.

Leading individual NHL high profile star players -- Connor McDavid (of the Edmonton Oilers) and Matthew Tkachuk (of the Florida Panthers) the faces of each participating Stanley Cup team – lead the league with eight brand deals each.

Focusing on growing uniform ‘patch” brand signage, SponsorUnited says the average NHL jersey patch deals range from $3.4 million to $4.2 million, which is nearly a third less than the average across the other leagues, which is approximately $6 million.

Biggest sponsorship spenders for the NHL: Crypto.com, AB InBev; Toyota Motor; Scotiabank; and Roger Communications.

The average sponsorship deal volume per team is now 92 -- up 7% from 89 in the previous season. The top five teams in terms of deals are the Nashville Predators, with 141; the Washington Capitals, with 139; the Vegas Golden Knights, with 136, and the Edmonton Oilers, with 119.

This report offers analysis of brand sponsorships, endorsements, and social engagement across the NHL and its athletes for the 2024-25season, encompassing more than 1,900 brands, 3,000 deals, and 46,500 social posts.