Everything on Marketing & Sponsorship

Sponsorship is the primary financial lifeline for elite skaters, particularly during the Olympics. Pharmaceutical and other brands offer 'obscene' amounts of money that are difficult to refuse given the sport's high cost structure.

Impact: Creates a dependency on commercial visibility, where athletic performance is tied to brand appeal, and ethical concerns arise regarding the influence of sponsors on athlete decisions.

— from The Million Dollar Cost of Olympic Figure Skating · The Indicator from Planet Money· Feb 12, 2026

Corporate sponsorship is increasingly favoring sports with clear, measurable outcomes, leading to a funding disparity between jumping and dressage.

Impact: Dressage must adopt data-driven metrics and AI-assisted judging to remain competitive for corporate sponsorship dollars.

— from Isabel Werth's Equestrian Investment Strategy · OMR Podcast· Feb 01, 2026