A look at the rise of fan engagement in motorsport and the lessons going forward for organisations selling sponsorships

Partnerships in motorsport have shifted away from the traditional model the sport has long been known for. Historically, partnering with a motorsport property meant luxury brand alignment, premium hospitality, and access to B2B networking opportunities.

However, this is changing. As motorsport continues to grow its global audience and fanbase, brands are expecting more from partnerships in this space. There is now a stronger focus on fan engagement, creative activations, and memorable experiences.

Fan engagement in sport sponsorship is about how brands connect and interact with fans, rather than just being seen. It focuses on creating experiences, content and moments that encourage fans to actively engage with a team and/or sponsor. Examples include:

• Social media content & campaigns
• Competitions/giveaways
• Interactive experiences e.g. fan input, gamification
• Live event activations/ fan zones
• Behind the scene story telling content
• Community initiatives

This shift is also being driven by competition from sports like soccer, which offer strong fan connections and global reach. As a result, motorsport is evolving to better meet these expectations.

Growth in numbers

This chart shows the number of motorsport deals announced, year on year from 2023 to 2025, broken down by the primary motivation behind each partnership (excluding the top two motivations Brand Awareness and Values Alignment).

Over this period, Fan Engagement has seen significant growth, increasing nearly 5x and overtaking Showcase Capability as the leading driver of sponsorship deals (outside of Brand Awareness and Values Alignment).

Chart in Insights section of platform.

Who to target

When looking at fan engagement–driven sponsorship deals across all sport over the past year, a simple numbers perspective highlights the categories best suited for fan-focused partnerships. Nearly half of all such deals come from just two consumer-led sectors, with Consumer Cervices and Food & Beverage accounting for 45% of fan-centric partnerships.

Consumer Services: Quick service restaurants engage with fans through matchday promotions, limited-edition products, and in-venue activations. E.g. McDonald’s partnering with the National Basketball Association, using player-led campaigns, themed menu items, and digital promotions to connect with fans during key moments in the season.

Travel & Tourism: available in Insights section of platform.

Financial Services: available in Insights section of platform.

Fan engagement comparison to Soccer

Soccer is one of motorsport’s biggest competitors in the global sponsorship market. Comparing the two highlights motorsport’s key strengths, helping rights holders’ position more effectively and win partnerships.

So, motorsport rights holders can position fan led partnerships in the following ways:

Global but Event-Driven Reach: Motorsport offers highly engaged audiences at key events nationally/worldwide, allowing brands to activate around premium moments rather than just broad exposure.

High-Impact Fan Interaction: Digital voting, fan-designed liveries, and immersive experiences let brands create campaigns involving fans, providing a sense of fan involvement that football rarely replicates.

B2B & B2C Flexibility:  available in Insights section of platform.

Deep Brand Integration Opportunities: available in Insights section of platform.

Examples of Fan Engagement-led partnerships in Motorsport

Before approaching brands, think beyond logos and hospitality. Focus on creative activation ideas and work together to bring the partnership to life for fans, even if the opportunity isn’t immediately obvious.

McLaren Racing partnered with OKX to give fans a more active role in the team. The activation centred on fan-designed helmets and digital competitions, allowing fans to influence real race assets and feel part of the team.

The Mint 400, an offroad truck race, partnered with Toyota to highlight Toyota’s deep heritage with off road racing through fan experiences as the ‘Toyota Racing Experience’ where fans can view the latest Toyota vehicles, get giveaways and purchase gear.

More examples available in Insights section of platform.

Motorsport rights holders should focus on giving fans an active role in partnerships, rather than treating them as passive viewers. These examples show that allowing fans to influence assets or experiences creates deeper engagement and a stronger connection to the team or series. The key takeaway is that the most effective partnerships are those that give fans ownership and real involvement, not just content to consume.

Key takeaways

Position motorsport as an emerging fan engagement platform: Motorsport is moving beyond its traditional B2B and hospitality-led model. Partnerships should now be framed around fan engagement, content, and experiences that reach wider audiences.

Rapid growth in fan engagement: Fan engagement-led partnerships have grown nearly 5x from 2023 to 2025, overtaking traditional showcase-led deals. This should be used as proof that the market is shifting.

Prioritise consumer-facing categories: Focus outreach on categories leading fan engagement investment:

• Consumer Services
• Food & Beverages
• Financial Services

These categories are significantly ahead of others and are actively driving engagement-led partnerships across sport.

More key takeaways available in Insights section of platform.