Sponcon Scouting Report: The 2025 Australian Open

👋 Welcome back to Sponcon Sports, a weekly newsletter dedicated to sponsored content strategy in the sports industry!

Last Saturday, the Philadelphia Eagles partnered with Bud Light to host a Drone Show at The Oval ahead of their NFC Championship matchup against the Washington Commanders.

The activation wasn’t just about bringing fans together for a shared pre-game experience (or giving brand partners a chance to directly connect with fans). It also delivered stunning visuals that drove significant social media buzz when shared online.

Here’s how the Eagles amplified the drone show across their channels:

• Instagram: Reel + Carousel

• X: Video + Thread

• Facebook: Reel + Album

• TikTok: Video

• YouTube Shorts: Video

• Threads: Carousel

Note: They also promoted the activation within their mobile app and via Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat Stories.

The results? The drone show posts generated over 4.1M views, 401.8K engagements, and delivered $158,169 in social value.

This is a great example of how in-person activations can extend far beyond the venue. By integrating digital channels into your marketing plan, you can significantly increase reach and ROI—even if the original idea was designed for an in-person audience.

P.S. I shared 10 rules for promoting in-person experiences on digital channels back in May. Check them out here!

In Today’s Edition:

• The AO Sponsorship Playbook 🎾

• Man City’s AI Kit Contest 💻️

• X Games’ Stylish New Partner 💅

🏊️ DEEP DIVE
Winning The Sponsorship Game On A Grand Slam Stage

The 2025 Australian Open delivered a masterclass in sponsored content.

From seamless digital integrations to smart matchday activations, the tournament proved why it's a leader in monetizing fan engagement.

We’re breaking down the best partnerships, standout executions, and even a few untapped opportunities that brands should be eyeing for next year.

Trophy-Worthy Partnerships

My favorite Australian Open digital partnerships came from Rolex, SafetyCulture, and Infosys.

Rolex

Rolex had a strong presence across digital channels both in the lead up to and through the tournament.

The Australian Open team put the brand in places where it made sense.

• Global Start Times: Let fans know when each day began across timezones.

• Order Of Play: Laid out the schedule of matches for each day.

• Time On Court: Showed how long players spent in competition.

• Current Time: A Rolex-branded dial appeared on the website and mobile app’s homepage showing the current time in Melbourne and your city.

My favorite asset of this partnership was their inclusion in the AO Countdown. Highlights from past tournaments were shown to get fans excited before this year’s event.

Countdowns are a perfect fit for a watch brand, but they also prove that event-based sponsorships don’t have to be limited to live competition.

SafetyCulture

Similar to Rolex, SafetyCulture was seamlessly integrated into the Australian Open’s sponsored content before and during the tournament.

Two key activations before the event aligned perfectly with its role as the official workplace operations partner:

• Court Prep: Short-form content showcasing how the courts and event spaces came to life (No. 1 | No. 2 | No. 3).

• Event Prep: The final touches outside Rod Laver Arena (No. 1 | No. 2).

This winning formula works across sports, from painting football fields to unveiling freshly prepared hockey rinks.

As those pieces ran, AO also launched Almost Open, a series spotlighting the behind-the-scenes staff who make the event happen:

• Almost Open Episodes: Locker Room Attendant | Ball Kid | Buggy Driver

Together, these content series built brand awareness for SafetyCulture while also delivering mid-funnel storytelling to help fans understand what the company does.

Once the tournament began, SafetyCulture stayed top of mind as the sponsor of Smart Plays, an in-match highlights series (more on that later).

Infosys

Infosys’ AI integration into the Australian Open website and app was next-level.

Click into any box score (still available now), branded as Highlights by Infosys, then tap Infosys Advanced Stats—and get ready to fall down a data rabbit hole that never seems to end.

There were six categories of AI-powered insights:

• Key Indicators: Includes a win predictor graph, key stats, and match beats – best-in-class play-by-play data visualization that included an AI quiz based on the results of each match.

• AI Commentary: Point-by-point written analysis of every match.

• AI Match Bytes: Storylines behind the scores, set by set.

• Rally Analysis: Statistical breakdown of rallies based on shot length, filterable by set or player.

• Stroke Summary: A tally of every shot type players took in a match, filterable by set.

• CourtVision: Customizable shot charts and visual stats tracking player performance across the match and tournament.

IBM has done something similar with its AI-powered SlamTracker at Wimbledon (see Sponsored Content of the Week), but this went so much deeper. If you’re a tennis superfan, this had to be a dream to explore.

Monetizing Matchday Moments

The Australian Open doesn’t miss when it comes to turning matchday moments into sponsorship opportunities. This year, 15 of their 36 brand partners (42%) sponsored content directly tied to in-match coverage.

Each brand had a distinct, branded series that felt intentional and relevant:

• ahm Health Insurance – You’re Good

• Waterdrop – Drop Shot of the Day

• Infosys – AI Shot of the Day

• Safety Culture – Smart Play

• Bondi Sands – Stay Cool Under Pressure

• Pirelli – In Control

• Haier – Superior Performance

• ANZ Bank – Ultimate Defence

• Play Beyond Tennis – Epic Rally

• Emirates – The Walk-On

• Google Pixel – Courtside Magic

• Mastercard – Priceless

• Aperol Spritz – Stylish Point

• Squealing Pig Wine – Celebrate

• Rolex – Global Start Times, Order of Play

• Canadian Club – Cheeky Point

Why This Works: Branding + Execution

The Australian Open doesn’t just slap logos on highlight clips. Their approach makes sponsorships feel natural and memorable in two key ways:

Custom-Branded Content Series

• Each brand was tied to a specific, ownable moment, reinforcing a natural connection between the sponsor and the content.

• Names like “Drop Shot of the Day” (Waterdrop) and “Stay Cool Under Pressure” (Bondi Sands) made these integrations feel seamless rather than forced.

Templatized Execution For Scale

• Every sponsored clip featured a branded lower-third graphic with the content series name visible throughout.

• The paid partnership tool was used to tag brands, ensuring consistent exposure across platforms.

As the tournament progressed and fan engagement increased, these series gained momentum. For example, Google Pixel’s “Courtside Magic” got a major boost when defending champ Jannik Sinner and newly crowned Madison Keys were featured.

Bookmark These Concepts

Whether you work for an event property or not, this year’s Australian Open delivered standout ideas worth borrowing.

Red Bull’s Tennis IQ Challenge: This evergreen content series hooks fans by using past footage to set up a scenario and inviting them to share what they’d do in the same situation. Instead of relying on a call to action in the copy, the AO team smartly used on-screen arrows to drive engagement.

Bondi Sands’ Stay Cool Under Pressure: Arrows on-screen weren’t limited to Red Bull’s sponcon. They also showed up as a visual hook to inject quick storytelling into Bondi Sands’ highlight series, showing fans why they should stick around to watch.

Dunlop’s ASMR Activation: The AO team showed great restraint with ASMR-style content for Dunlop. The activation debuted ahead of the tournament to build excitement and returned at the end to wrap up “the sounds of the AO.” By limiting its use, they kept the concept fresh and impactful.

Peroni & Squealing Pig’s Split-Screen Reactions: Using a split-screen technique to elevate the storytelling and brand integration was smart, especially to highlight branded physical spaces. The AO team paired on-court highlights with fan reactions captured for Peroni and Squealing Pig Wines.

Victory Travels In Louis Vuitton: If your property has a trophy, there’s an opportunity to elevate the moment through sponsorship. The Champions League’s FedEx trophy delivery to Festival Day and Match Day generated over 36M views. At the AO, Louis Vuitton put together two handcrafted trophy trunks, each housing the 2025 Women’s Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup and Men’s Norman Brookes Challenge Cup.

Unsponsored Content That Should Be

This wasn’t sponsored—yet. But AO’s split-screen camera signature deserves credit for making the moment more engaging and easy to follow. They showed the signature from both the lens’ POV and the players’ POV, making the moment more engaging and easy to follow. Could be a great opportunity for a brand like Sharpie.

Road to the Finals and Path of a Champion are great fits for Major Partner, KIA.  While they likely sought depth of storytelling in their digital content (like this) due to their strong physical presence, these aligned perfectly with the auto category and performed very well.

I liked this piece by Ralph Lauren focused on the ball kids at the tournament. I would take a page out of the Pittsburgh Penguins playbook and run one feature where ball kids are mic’d up during matches (See Sponsored Content of the Week) to uncover just how exciting and nerve wracking it is for them to be that close to the sports’ biggest stars.

This highlight shown from the commentary box is perfect for Google Pixel. If you have someone stationed there shooting video on one of their phones it would tie seamlessly into their Shot on Google Pixel series we see across their sponsorship portfolio.

The Takeaway

The Australian Open set the bar high for sponsored content in 2025, proving that smart, well-integrated activations create real value for fans and brands alike. Whether it’s AI-powered insights, cleverly named matchday moments, or perfectly aligned pre-tournament storytelling, there’s plenty to learn—and plenty of inspiration to borrow.

🔍️ SPONCONSPIRATION
Steal These Ideas

[Social Value: $75,866] Back in December, Man City and PUMA gave fans the chance to design the club’s 26/27 Third Kit using the PUMA AI Creator. After thousands of submissions, the competition was narrowed down to the top 10. Fans voted for their favorite until January 29.

[Social Value: $76,617] LIV Golf is stepping into the golf creator space by signing Rick Shiels as an official ambassador for 2025.

[Social Value: $1,297] Chicago Bulls’ mascot, Benny the Bull, just dropped a capsule collection featuring four sponsored products.

[Social Value: $70,197] Dude Perfect’s Tyler Toney and Tim Holt faced off in a hockey shooting challenge to announce the NHL Fan Skills Challenge, presented by BODYARMOR - one of their shared partners.

[Social Value: $18,232] The X Games got creative in integrating new partner Sally Hansen into their content, featuring their press-on nails in a 2024 recap post and a stress test with Zoe Atkin.

[Social Value: $559,870] Now that we have a presenting sponsor focused on sponsorship measurement, I had to check how much social value was generated from one of the many viral Scuderia Ferrari x Lewis Hamilton collabs. HP benefitted most with $159,443 in social value.

ICYMI, here’s my full breakdown of last week’s NWSL Schedule Release.

*social values via Zoomph

🚨 ICYMI
What To Watch For

Bayou Bengals: No Super Bowl? No problem. The Cincinnati Bengals are bringing the party to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX with the first-ever Bengals’ Bayou House—a nod to Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase’s LSU roots. The experience features a lineup of sponsored activations, including food from James Beard-nominated chefs, poolside yoga, Sports x Influence panels, and more.

AI Judging: The X Games tested whether AI could accurately judge snowboarding during Superpipe competitions. This trial run didn’t impact scores—yet.

Enhanced Shot Charts: If you’re a fan of Kirk Goldsberry’s shot charts like I am, you’ll love his latest innovation. In partnership with the NBA and Sportradar, he introduced an animated version using new Hawkeye data—perfect for breaking down how Victor Wembanyama put together his first career 50-point game.

New Fan Engagement Tradition: At every Unrivaled Basketball game, 12 lucky fans receive a Gradient Ticket. The fan holding the ticket of the player who hits the game-winner gets a postgame item straight from that player.

Bundesliga Joins Roblox: The Bundesliga is the first European football league to launch on Roblox. Martin Jäger, Head of Digital Marketing and Campaigns, shares why the league is diving into the metaverse.