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- Some brands are underutilizing the sports rights they have already paid for: More than 70% of fans want ongoing off-season communication, yet most sponsoring brands’ visibility ends with the game (Infobip).
- Game day is becoming too narrow a definition of sponsorship activation: 86% of fans say the culture surrounding sport is a major reason they become fans (VisualGPS).
- Women’s sport presents a growing sponsorship opportunity, but brands risk limiting value if their visual storytelling does not credibly represent the fans they seek to engage: Only 10% of fans say current imagery authentically portrays women as dedicated and passionate fans (VisualGPS).
NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Getty Images (OTCPK:GETY), a preeminent global visual content creator and marketplace, today released findings from its latest VisualGPS report, The New Fandom Economy. Research suggests that despite making large investments in sports sponsorships within the rapidly growing sports economy, many brands are not effectively translating that access and visibility into fan engagement.
Visual analysis from the report demonstrates how sports sponsorships have evolved from brand visibility to brands as cultural participants. Today, fans expect more, especially as competition for attention intensifies. Sport Intellectual Property revenue has grown nearly twice as fast as global GDP since 2015 and is projected to top $260 billion by 20331.
This growth, the speed at which the industry is evolving, and the rise of AI are increasing demand for visual content at an unprecedented rate. But scale alone does not guarantee impact. In a market saturated with visual content that is low-quality or merely “good enough”, brands prioritizing quantity over authenticity and quality, risk becoming part of the noise and failing to make the most of the rights and access they already own. VisualGPS research points to real access, and how brands use it, as the factor that turns visibility into deeper audience engagement and long-term value.
The report signals key shifts driving this new baseline expectation of sponsors by fans. On one hand, fans are seeking to engage with the sports, athletes, and communities they love long before and after the final whistle. 70% of fans say they want ongoing off-season communication2, yet most sponsoring brands’ visibility ends with the game.
Another key shift shaping consumer behavior is the women’s sport effect. Both investment and interest in women’s sport are growing. This is not only expanding the sports marketplace, but influencing who participates, how fandom is expressed, and what audiences expect to see. Yet, despite increasing brand participation in women’s sport and a shift in representation from stereotypical portrayals to more authentic depictions, a disconnect persists. Only 10% of fans say current imagery authentically portrays women as dedicated and passionate fans. This brings an opportunity for brands to take a deeper look at the visuals they are using to represent the fans they hope to engage.
How Can Brands Realize the Full Potential of Their Sports Investments?
Findings from Getty Images’ report suggest that differentiation increasingly depends on a brand’s ability to create authentic visual content from the rights and access it already owns. Real, close access to athletes, fans and sporting moments is becoming an increasingly valuable competitive advantage for brands. According to the research, 98% of sports fans say authenticity is pivotal to trust, and in a visual content landscape flooded with AI-generated imagery, low-quality noise, and intense competition for attention, building that trust becomes a real differentiating factor. Authentic visuals give sponsors the foundation to earn attention, strengthen trust and build real fan engagement that is difficult to replicate.
The VisualGPS research also shows that while passion for the game is the primary reason people engage with sport, the culture and community surrounding it are major reasons why people become fans. Showing their open door to the athletes, the fans, and the rituals is what allows brands to move from participants to cultural contributors. Furthermore, fans want to see more than just game highlights. They crave behind-the-scenes content, deeper athlete stories, historical images and footage, and fan- and athlete-driven personal visual storytelling, putting access at the center of how sponsors can fully realize the potential of their investment through more comprehensive visual content strategies.
What Should CMOs Do Next?
To extend the value of their investments, successful brand strategies increasingly depend on a brand’s ability to turn access into visual content that fans actually want to engage with.
Michael Heiman, Global Head of Editorial at Getty Images, said: “Capturing sport authentically requires more than access. It requires photographers who understand the game, recognize the moments that matter and know how to document them as they unfold. That expertise, strengthened by decades of experience covering major sporting events and longstanding relationships with rights holders, enables us to tell a fuller story of sport, from the competition itself to the athletes, fans and communities surrounding it.”
Dr. Rebecca Swift, Global Head of Creative at Getty Images, added: “Visual content is what turns a sponsorship into something audiences actually see and feel. Brands invest significantly to secure sponsorship rights, but those rights are only the starting point. Our research shows that lasting engagement depends on how effectively brands translate that access to athletes, fans, and the culture surrounding sport into visual stories grounded in authenticity, giving audiences something they can recognize and trust.”
To help brands fulfill the full potential of their sponsorship investments, the report outlines three key takeaways for marketers responsible for sponsorship strategy:
- Turn sponsorship rights into always-on visual content built on real access, fans and moments.
- Identify the cultural spaces surrounding a sponsorship where your brand can make a credible contribution, while keeping the sport itself at the heart of the strategy.
- Protect the value of sponsorship access by combining authenticity, distinctiveness, immediacy and connection to moments audiences recognize as real.
Built on decades of access to the world’s major sporting events and real-time intelligence from millions of visual content decisions made on its platform every day, Getty Images has unmatched visibility into how sport is captured, consumed and shared, providing unique insight into how fandom continues to evolve. For brands that have already invested in sponsorship rights, the report offers actionable guidance for translating rights and access into relevant, year-round visual content strategies that keeps audiences engaged across the full fan journey.
Download “The New Fandom Economy” report here.
[1] Source: Two Circles 2026 Sports IP Revenue League Report
[2] Source: Fan Engagement Survey Report 2026 by Infobip
Methodology:
Getty Images’ VisualGPS methodology combines consumer insight with real-world usage data to understand what visual content performs. The analysis draws on proprietary search and download behavior across Getty Images and iStock (+ 2.8 billion searches each year), representing how brands actively select, use, and reuse imagery across channels – alongside global research conducted in partnership with world-class global research firm MarketCast. Unless otherwise noted, data in the “The New Fandom Economy” report was gathered via global surveys conducted from April 2024 to June 2026, with samples ranging from 5,300 to 7,000 adults (18+) across 25 countries, including Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, the UK, and the US.
Media Contact:
Ilse Noguez
ilse.noguez@gettyimages.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/41239748-7867-4a01-8400-b79741dc5f05
