Unveiling Athlete Sponsorship: A Multi-method Qualitative Study of the Evolving Roles of Athletes in the Digital Era Sponsorship Agreements

Abstract: The sports industry has undergone a profound transformation due to digitalization. Within this shifting landscape, one key aspect of sports marketing that has experienced significant changes is sponsorship. With the pervasive influence of social media on sports consumption, an escalating number of companies are integrating social media marketing into their sponsorship strategies. This study examines the updated roles of athletes in sponsorship agreements. By applying a multi-method qualitative approach, this research employs triangulation, combining multiple data sources. The roles are categorized by investigating online sponsorship-linked marketing activations by using an empirical typology. The empirics are further strengthened by in-depth interviews. The interviewees represent three stakeholder perspectives, which are contrasted for a comprehensive understanding. The perspective of athletes, sponsoring companies, and sports agents are investigated. In addition, the research acknowledges contemporary market shifts and trends by employing thematic analysis. The study finds that athletes assume four main roles and four additional subroles in partnership agreements with sponsors. The main roles are Brand Ambassador, Endorser, Co-Creator, and Support Grantee, and the subroles; Co-Worker for representation and events, Co-Worker for product development, Co-Creator in product development, and lastly, Campaign-Based Endorser. The findings also reveal two prominent market development themes, the decrease in the duration of sponsorships and the growing impact of social media on sponsorship practices.