Quietly Aligned: How Partnerships Reflect a Changing Fan Routine
What subtle sponsorships are starting to show us about fan behavior, attention patterns, and the signals teams are learning to hear
Over the last few weeks, I’ve found myself thinking less about where fans are and more about how they behave, from how they find games across platforms, when they choose to get involved, and when they do not. The idea of reach used to feel static, almost structural. Today, it feels earned. When I started paying closer attention to that behavior, something else started to stand out: partnerships.
These aren’t just the ones with launch graphics and big headlines. These are the ones that show up quietly, or more subtly, in places fans already are, or where fans might be. Who an organization chooses to stand next to says a lot - about who they’re paying attention to, what they want to be part of, and how they see their role in a fan’s routine.
Some partnerships confirm what we already know - others might suggest a shift.
This is more focused on how those relate to fans, rather than how I’d structure a partnership strategy. I wrote about that last year.
From visibility to design
A few weeks ago I wrote about how the challenge used to be making sure fans knew where to look, then how to show them how to navigate their fandom.
The same shift is happening in sponsorship. Most teams know how to sign partners and deliver exposure. They know how to build a media plan, develop assets, and make sure logos land on screen. That used to be enough.
Now, the better question is: does this partner help make the fan experience make more sense? Does it align with how people actually follow sports right now? Does it potentially reach a new set of fans, or add more to the experience for the majority of fans, or both?
Habits, not just highlights
Fans will always find ways to build their sports routines across devices, times of day, and emotional states. This is usually anchored to personal habits and social context.
Sponsorship works the same way. The strongest partnerships show up where fans already are in the middle of their day, not just during the game, maybe on a walk or in a store. The most valuable partnerships fit into a fan’s every day life, or provides them with a situation to aspire to (maybe, a yacht in Monaco).
Organizations that recognize this are designing for presence, not just reach. They’re meeting fans where they are, not asking them to come back to old habits that no longer fit, or to go back to places that might not make sense. That’s where nostalgia becomes a fine line of living in the past to cherishing what’s happened, and striking that balance is key.
Read and listen
Every so often, I come across a sponsorship that surprises me. More often than not, those deals come from organizations that are looking to fill their gaps. They may not have all the answers, but they’re willing to ask different questions. That mindset doesn’t always show up in the copy of a post, or a customer video.
The willingness to experiment quietly is often the clearest indicator that an organization is preparing to grow - by evolving with, not ahead of, its audience.
I’ve started asking not just what the organization is saying, but what they’ve been hearing. Sometimes the deal reflects a growing voice in the crowd, perhaps a type of fan that’s been showing up differently, and doing that at scale.
It’s easy to think of partnerships as messaging. In many cases, they’re just as much about listening. The decision to work with a smaller brand, an unfamiliar format, or a value-aligned organization often reflects some sort of desire to reach someone new.
The act of listening isn’t always obvious, but it can show you what might actually be the best landing spot. This is why I’m a sponge and read several newsletters a day. Even if I don’t always agree with the content, or that something is a ‘big deal’, it still helps me continue to refine my framework and approach to my work.
Partnerships are signals
The more time I spend tracking fan behavior, the more I notice what’s not in the headlines or written about 500 times on LinkedIn. Not every deal is a blueprint or meaningful. Over time, a pattern can emerge.
Partnerships reveal how teams think about time, access, belonging, and value - both for current and future fans. Growth doesn’t always come from a new format or platform. Sometimes, it starts with deciding who you invite into the room and who’s already there.
As always, thanks for reading.