In short, 2026 will deliver almost a mirror of what 2025 had to offer. If you look at the December 30, 2025 TMC from last week you will gain a perspective of what is in store for us in 2026. Much more of the same… but there are some variances.
- Women’s sports will continue to lead the headlines
- Strong Canadian large properties that do sponsorship right will continue to grow
- There continues to be space for the small and medium sized properties and rights holders for continued growth in the sector
- There will continue to be casualties – especially in those sectors that expect to have sponsors versus those that work to have partners.
- The sector will grow both in rights fees and activation revenues and the rights fees will increase from new properties selling effectively as well as those stalwart properties continuing to do sponsorship correctly.
- Data and technology will lead the sector in both ROI measurement but infiltrate every aspect of the industry as AI becomes more and more common space. Expectations of insight and data will be the norm versus only available to those with deep pockets. Just as a logo inclusion is a “given” not an asset of value anymore, data and insight will follow suit. If you cannot deliver on these new “basics” the sponsors will pass you by.
- The cry for more professional development will continue to grow and both the private sector and the post secondary institutions will step up to meet that need while the SMCC continues to also support the sector.
As noted, 2026 will also bring a few unique elements that will affect all of us. Here are a few things you should know about 2026…. They are as follows:
- The hosting of FIFA 2026 (along with Mexico and the USA) in June of this year in Toronto and Vancouver will have a significant effect on the sponsorship industry in the short and long term. In 2026 (the short term) FIFA will help to increase the already record setting $4B+ industry grow even higher. But also, in the short term it will take money from events in those markets especially (and others) as those businesses aligned with FIFA 2026 in Canada will need to shift some (not all) dollars to meet the FIFA investments. We have seen this happen with hosting of the Pan-Am Games in Toronto and the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. But the long-term effects for this sector will be huge. This event will raise the bar for sponsorship and hosting and hospitality levels in this country. Furthermore it will reignite the soccer opportunities in Canada as we see growth in the operations side of local clubs, leagues and the national and regional organizations. This new bar will bolster new revenues for those who do it right and decimate those who still think hanging a banner and providing a game ticket is enough.
- Coming off the Taylor Swift ERAS Tour in 2024 a bar was set and there is a new bloodline for concerts in Canada. We will continue to see growth in the international tour events but even the Canadian concert circuits have figured out when you integrate audiences with brands there is money to be made. We believe that there is substantial growth for well run events and concerts moving forward. With revitalized venues in Toronto and Vancouver as well as new facilities in multiple Canadian municipalities, this is a channel to watch and get aligned with.
- As “professional” concert events grow in 2026 we are going the see the demise of many non-profit operated and run music festivals and festivals overall. These festivals (whether stand alone or aligned with major events like FIFA or the CCMAs or the Brier or the Grey Cup) to win in the new world of festivalization will need to engage “professionalization” to succeed. So private business will again swoop in here and run these events profitably and deliver results to the partners while the “old white guy” boards and “community volunteer boards” for local fairs, festivals and events will either go the way of the dodo bird or they will outsource their events, their brands and their goodwill to the private sector who will do it right. Sponsorship has become too big of a business to leave it to the well-meaning volunteers to bring in the money through stock packages and poor fulfilment management. This will occur at the small local level as well as at the highest of levels of events in Canada beginning in 2026.
- The greatest outcome we will see in 2026 is that there is a lot more money to go around. But it will be those that deliver an ROI and know how to build deep and meaningful relationships who become the benefactors of this increased growth in the sector.
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