• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, 8 hours ago

Amid the sharp rise in interest in all things sports advertising-related, the NHL has seen fastest growth in terms of sponsorship.

The hockey league is up 10% year-over-year and 26% over a two-year period to $1.7 billion, according to SponsorUnited.

Teams showing the strongest growth include the new franchise the Utah Mammoth, followed by the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Minnesota Wild, and Los Angeles Kings.

According to SponsorUnited, says the average deal size rose 11% to $529,000 from $475,000, while the overall sponsorship deal count remained the same at 3,162, with the actual number of unique brands now at 2,218.

Toyota Motors is a top brand, with team deals in 19 of 32 markets, with Coors Brewing next at 16, followed by three brands tied at 15: Gallo (wine), Ford Motor Company and Lyft. Alcohol-brand companies Diageo and Stateside Brands are next, at 14 and 13, respectively.

The fastest-growing categories for the NHL include healthcare (up 25), construction/industrial (up 22), food products (17) and transportation (14); Beverage-Alcohol and Business Services each with 8.

The players with the most deals include Jack Hughes (of the New Jersey Devils), 13, Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers), 11 and Max Domi (Toronto Maple Leafs), 9.