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You don’t need a Premier League budget

Published 2026 Sep
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You don’t need a Premier League budget

We recently researched and costed a Premier League campaign. The audience was huge, and so was the price and range. It ended up not going ahead, which left us asking the question: which sport’s package is best suited for SME businesses?

More than you’d think. You don’t need the Premier League to reach sports fans. Over the last couple of years, live sport on TV has opened up to much smaller budgets. And the local end of sport has always been within reach. So here’s a short guide to sports advertising for small businesses, level by level.

The short version

  • Sport works best for businesses with local customers, or ones that rely on trust.
  • You can sponsor a televised horse race from £300 + VAT, or show your ad on Sky in your own postcodes from around £3,000.
  • Women’s sport and community clubs punch well above their weight for goodwill.
  • The businesses that win don’t just buy a logo. They do something with it, and they measure it.

Why sports advertising works for small businesses

Fans trust the brands that back their sport, and they’re more likely to buy from them. The research is pretty consistent on this:

81%of people trust brand sponsorships at sporting events, at least somewhat (Nielsen)
10%average lift in purchase intent among fans who saw a sponsorship, across 100 deals (Nielsen)
43%of UK adults feel more positive about brands that support their local community through women’s sport (Women’s Sport Trust)

Women’s sport deserves a special mention. The Women’s Sport Trust found that 30% of UK consumers think more favourably of brands that sponsor women’s sport, compared with 20% for men’s. If your customers are women or families, that’s a real edge.

The businesses that tend to do best are the ones whose customers live nearby: estate agents, solicitors, dentists, car dealers, trades, restaurants and pubs. Your local club’s fans are your neighbours, and they notice who turns up for their team.

The sports advertising ladder

Think of sport as a ladder. You don’t have to start at the top, and every rung has something different to offer.

  1. Premier League and national TV

    National campaign budgets

    The biggest audiences and the biggest price tags. When we priced up a Premier League TV campaign recently, the cost ruled it out for our client. That’s the case for most smaller brands, which is why the rungs below matter.

    Best for: established brands with national reach.

  2. Live sport on Sky and TNT (Sports Marketplace)

    Pick a match, a team or a pack

    Sky Media launched its Sports Marketplace in March 2025. It lets you book individual games or flexible packs across Sky Sports and TNT Sports, including the Premier League, EFL, WSL and Champions League. It’s opening doors, too: 60% of the brands using it were advertising in sport for the very first time.

    Best for: regional brands, product launches, anyone linked to one team’s fans.

  3. Targeted Sky TV in your postcodes (AdSmart)

    From around £3,000

    Sky AdSmart shows your ad only to the households you choose, right down to postcode level, across Sky’s channels including sport. You pay per view, and only when at least 75% of the ad is watched.

    Best for: local services, dealerships, estate agents, anyone with a clear catchment area.

  4. Horse racing

    From £300 + VAT per race

    At Hexham Racecourse, naming a race starts at £300 + VAT. That includes live coverage on Sky Sports Racing, screening in 10,000 betting shops and banners around the parade ring. Racecard adverts start from £100 + VAT per meeting.

    Best for: B2B firms that win work over hospitality, and local businesses.

  5. Non-league and women’s football

    From a programme advert

    Clubs like Lewes FC offer everything from a logo in the matchday programme to scoreboard ads and full partnerships. Lewes plays 32+ home games a season, with average crowds of 900 or more.

    Best for: hospitality, product trials, reaching women and families.

  6. Grassroots and junior clubs

    Varies by club

    Shirt sponsorship, pitch-side banners and kit deals. Prices vary too much to quote one figure, but most clubs are happy to shape a package around your budget.

    Best for: any business that lives on its local reputation.

Prices are starting points from published rates and suppliers, checked September 2026.

Real UK businesses that made it work

Hospitality · Lewes FC

Nostos, Hove

The Greek restaurant catered the hospitality at Lewes’ sold-out Women’s FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United in 2023. The owner used the day to launch a catering arm, and booked several more jobs off the back of it.

Retail · Lewes FC

Nixi Body and Art of Football

Period-underwear brand Nixi Body brought its products to a Lewes game to meet the club’s large female fanbase face to face. Art of Football designed an equal-pay warm-up shirt, and the photos of the players wearing it went viral.

Drinks · Wrexham AFC

Wrexham Lager

The brewery has sponsored its hometown club since 2012 and gained huge visibility as the club’s profile soared. One honest caveat: the club’s owners bought into the brewery in 2024, so not all of that growth is down to sponsorship.

Racing · Hexham

Your name on live TV

A £300 race sponsorship puts your business name on Sky Sports Racing and in betting shops across the country. You can host clients on the day, too. It’s one of the most affordable ways onto live sports TV in the UK.

What goes wrong: the Cazoo lesson

Online car seller Cazoo spent tens of millions on sponsorships across football, darts, snooker, cricket, racing and more. City AM reported that 74% of Brits recognised its logo. It still went into administration in May 2024.

Analysts blamed breadth over depth: lots of logos, very little engagement. The lesson for smaller businesses is simple. Buy fewer things, and make the most of the ones you buy.

How to make sure it pays off

Sponsorship has a reputation for being hard to measure. It doesn’t have to be. Build tracking in from day one:

  • Use an offer code that only appears in your sports activity, such as “ROOKS10”.
  • Send people to a dedicated landing page with a short, easy-to-remember web address.
  • Compare postcodes. With AdSmart, compare enquiries from the areas you targeted with similar areas you didn’t.
  • Ask every new customer “How did you hear about us?” and write the answer down.
  • Watch searches for your business name in Google Search Console before, during and after.

Frequently asked questions

How much does sports advertising cost for a small business?

It depends on the level. A programme advert at a local club is the cheapest place to start. Sponsoring a televised horse race costs from £300 + VAT, and a targeted Sky AdSmart campaign from around £3,000. Live match packages on Sky and TNT vary by game and format.

Can a local business advertise on Sky Sports?

Yes. Sky AdSmart lets you target specific postcodes, so your ad is only shown to households in the areas you serve. You pay per view, and only when most of the ad is watched.

Is sponsoring women’s sport worth it?

For many businesses, yes. Women’s Sport Trust research found 30% of UK consumers think more favourably of brands that sponsor women’s sport, compared with 20% for men’s sport.

Find your rung

We’ve been buying media since 1999, from national TV to local and national publishers. We’ll tell you honestly which level of sport suits your budget and your customers, and which doesn’t.

Talk to us about sport

Sources (checked 23 September 2026)

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