SportsPro & SportQuake launch Impact X to spotlight the most innovative brands partnerships in sport

Impact X spotlights the most innovative brands and impactful partnerships in sport

• All-new exhibition of sports marketing excellence celebrates industry’s most impactful, creative and effective collaborations
• Inaugural Impact X casebook comprises 50 partnerships and 41 brands, including Adidas, Charlotte Tilbury, DoorDash, Google, Michelob Ultra, OKX and Orange
• Shortlist selected by SportsPro and SportQuake in consultation with expert advisory panel including Formula One, YouTube, TikTok, Standard Chartered, eToro and Stake.com

SportsPro, the leading sports media and events company, and global sports marketing agency SportQuake are delighted to announce the launch of Impact X, a new annual initiative spotlighting the most impactful, creative and effective partnerships in sport.

Unveiled today, the inaugural Impact X casebook comprises 50 of the most compelling partnerships and activations from recent years, showcasing the work of 41 brands across multiple sectors, including the likes of Adidas, Charlotte Tilbury, DoorDash, Google, Michelob Ultra, OKX, Orange and more.

As an exhibition of sports marketing excellence, Impact X aims to provide a deeper understanding of why sports sponsorship works and how to execute it well. By showcasing some of the best work in the sector, the aim is to identify and serve up the ingredients that make for truly meaningful partnerships and how to ensure they resonate with target audiences.

Comprising tech-led activations, athlete and influencer-centric digital content campaigns, and community-focused initiatives, Impact X features a curation of groundbreaking work that has received wider industry recognition, drawing international acclaim and coveted accolades from many of the world’s leading awards shows in sports business, advertising and marketing.

Partnerships and activations featured in this year’s Impact X casebook include Premier League club Newcastle United’s critically acclaimed ‘Unsilence the Crowd’ initiative with main partner Sela; Adidas’ inspiring ‘Runner 321’ campaign conducted in partnership with Chris Nikic, the brand’s first sponsored athlete with Down syndrome; and cosmetic brand Charlotte Tilbury’s landmark alliance with F1 Academy.

The full collection – which is available to download for free today at sportspro.com/projects/impactx – features work spanning 22 sponsorship categories and 16 sports. Football provides 18 entries, followed by motorsport (6), basketball (5), tennis (4) and Olympics (3).

“Recent years have seen an increasing number of high-growth tech brands in sectors like crypto, FinTech, online food delivery and ecommerce entering the market, shaking up the landscape and bringing creativity and innovation to the sports sponsorship sector,” said Michael Long, SportsPro’s Editorial Director.

“It is this wave of innovation that has inspired the launch of Impact X, which recognises work that not only delivers tangible results for those involved but also gets people talking, within and outside the sports industry, through the execution of original ideas and tech-led innovation.

“Together with SportQuake, our aim is to champion the forward-thinking organisations who approach sports sponsorship as both a strategic priority and a creative craft. In that vein, we’ve set out to spotlight those whose creative output delights and delivers in unexpected ways, blending style and substance to put forward engaging campaigns and activations that transcend sport.”

To help shape the project and finalise the Impact X casebook, SportsPro and SportQuake convened an expert advisory panel of top sports marketing professionals from Formula One, YouTube, TikTok, Standard Chartered, eToro, Stake.com, MSQ Sport + Entertainment, and the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO).

“We’re honoured to team up with SportsPro to deliver this inaugural review of sport x brand partnerships,” said Olivia Gillibrand, CMO at SportQuake. “Since Covid, we’ve seen an evolution in sports marketing, marked by creativity, innovation, and the rise of digital-first, high-growth brands reshaping how sport and brands engage with fans.

“Impact X is all about highlighting the creativity and impact that make sports partnerships stand out. Sponsorship today is about strategy, purpose-driven activation, and telling brand stories that resonate with fans.

“With Impact X, we’re putting a spotlight on the partnerships that are redefining the industry and proving that sponsorship can be a powerful tool within any brand and marketing strategy. We hope the project sparks new ideas and conversations about what’s possible in the world of sport and brand partnerships.”

The launch of Impact X is just the first step in SportsPro and SportQuake’s goal of coalescing cutting-edge ideas and best-in-class execution within the field of sports sponsorship. Throughout the coming months, we’ll continue to drive the industry conversation by spotlighting the most compelling work across SportsPro’s platforms and channels, bringing together the best and brightest minds through exclusive content and invite-only workshops.