In the sport industry, strategic partnering with outside entities is often in the form of sponsorship. Sponsorship has been defined as a business relationship between a provider of funds, resources, or services and a sports event or organization that offers the sponsor some rights and an association that offers the sponsor some rights and an association that may be used for commercial advantage (Sleight, 1989). More broadly, sponsorship is defined as investing in causes or events to support overall corporate objectives and/or marketing objectives (Cornwell, 1995). When one considers that corporate sponsorship has grown from $2.3 billion in 1989 to $ 9.6 billion in 1993 (Cornwell, 1995), it becomes evident that sponsorship is now a legitimate marketing vehicle. The dramatic rise of sponsorship has resulted in part as firms are exploring new, more efficient opportunities to communicate with consumers. Organizations in nearly every product category are now
recognizing sponsorship as a viable marketing tool and an effective complement to existing promotional efforts.