Money spent on sponsorship deals are set to rise 4.9% this year, with most of the cash going on sports as it offers engaged, multi-screen audiences, according to data by the World Advertising Research Center (WARC). New research suggests that sport is driving the growth of sponsorship deals globally as companies seek to take advantage of a platform which offers sustained exposure to highly engaged , multi - screen audiences . A study by the World Trade Research Center found that the majority of the 4.9 % growth in sponsorship partnerships projected for this year will come from sports , with businesses expected to spend a total of $ 65.8bn on deals in 2018 . North America will receive the greatest share of the investment at $ 24.2bn , with Europe and the Asia - Pacific region in second and third with $ 17 and $ 16.6bn , respectively .
New research suggests that sport is driving the growth of sponsorship deals globally as companies seek to take advantage of a platform which offers sustained exposure to highly engaged , multi - screen audiences . A study by the World Trade Research Center found that the majority of the 4.9 % growth in sponsorship partnerships projected for this year will come from sports , with businesses expected to spend a total of $ 65.8bn on deals in 2018 . North America will receive the greatest share of the investment at $ 24.2bn , with Europe and the Asia - Pacific region in second and third with $ 17 and $ 16.6bn , respectively .