The Power of Perimeter Advertising in Sports
Published on
by Izzy Fawcett
In the world of sports marketing, few forms of brand exposure are as impactful or enduring as perimeter advertising. Whether it’s a Premier League football match, an Olympic event, or a local grassroots tournament, the boards that line the edge of the pitch, court, or track play a vital role in connecting brands with audiences.
What is Perimeter Advertising?
Perimeter advertising refers to the branding and promotional displays positioned around the field of play - traditionally static boards, but now often digital LED systems. These ads are visible to both live spectators and, crucially, millions of viewers watching on television or online.
Modern perimeter systems are dynamic, allowing for rotating or digital displays that can showcase multiple sponsors, deliver targeted regional messaging during international broadcasts, and adapt content in real time.
Why is it So Important?
Unmatched Exposure and Visibility
Sporting events attract vast audiences, both in-stadium and through global broadcasts. A perimeter board positioned in a high-profile location ensures a brand’s logo or message is visible for long durations throughout a match or event, providing exceptional return on investment.
In televised matches, perimeter ads often feature in close-up shots, replays, and highlights - giving brands additional exposure that traditional advertising channels can’t replicate.
Association with Passion and Emotion
Sports evoke emotion like no other medium. Fans are deeply invested in their teams, and brands that appear within that environment benefit from emotional association. A logo beside a last-minute winner or championship moment becomes tied to the excitement, passion, and energy of sport - values that marketers strive for.
Commercial and Sponsorship Value
For rightsholders, perimeter advertising is a significant source of revenue generation. Selling this space allows teams to fund operations, improve facilities, and invest in talent. For sponsors, it’s a tangible way to integrate their brand into the visual landscape of sport without interrupting the action.
Enhancing Brand Credibility
Being present on the perimeter of a professional sporting event gives brands credibility and legitimacy. It signals that the brand is established, trusted, and aligned with the professionalism of sport. For new or growing companies, it’s an opportunity to elevate brand perception and gain recognition among engaged audiences.
Digital Innovation
The evolution from static boards to LED and virtual perimeter systems has revolutionised the space. In some sports and leagues, brands can now display region-specific ads during global broadcasts (for example, showing one sponsor to UK viewers and another to Asian audiences), maximising relevance and efficiency.
Additionally, data-driven systems can sync ads with live moments, such as goal celebrations or substitutions, creating dynamic, reactive brand storytelling.
What Sports Utilise Perimeter Advertising?
Perimeter advertising is widely used across most sports, providing brands with prime visibility during live matches and televised broadcasts. In football, LED advertising boards line the edges of the pitch in nearly every professional league and tournament, such as the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and FIFA World Cup. The global audience and constant camera coverage make it one of the most effective sports for perimeter advertising.
In basketball, particularly in leagues like the NBA, perimeter advertising is placed along the court side, often on digital LED boards that change dynamically during the game. These boards capture both the attention of fans in the arena and those watching on TV.
American football also makes use of perimeter advertising at international games, with digital and static boards placed along the sidelines and in end zones. They have been seen more recently during the NFL International Series in countries such as Brazil and the UK.
Similarly, cricket uses perimeter boards along the boundary fences, often digital in major televised tournaments. The slow pace and long duration of matches give sponsors prolonged visibility to both in-stadium fans and TV audiences.
Finally, in rugby, both union and league formats use LED perimeter boards around the pitch, especially in major leagues and international competitions. These displays enhance the fan experience while providing brands with dynamic and high-impact advertising opportunities.
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What is the Future of Perimeter Advertising?
The future of perimeter advertising is becoming increasingly digital, and personalised, shaped by advances in technology and changing fan behavior.
One of the biggest shifts is towards fully digital LED and virtual advertising. Stadiums and arenas are moving away from static boards to high-resolution LED displays that can change content instantly. This allows for dynamic, rotating ads that can feature multiple brands within a single match, significantly increasing inventory and revenue opportunities.
Virtual replacement technology is also growing rapidly. This enables broadcasters to swap perimeter ads for different regions or audiences. For example, a Bundesliga match could show different sponsors to viewers in Asia, Europe, and North America at the same time, maximising global reach and tailoring campaigns to specific markets.
Fan experience is becoming a priority too. There’s a growing emphasis on interactive and social integration within perimeter advertising, where fans can engage directly with ads through QR codes, live polls, or social media prompts.
The future of perimeter advertising lies in personalisation, technology, and interactivity - moving beyond static branding toward immersive, dynamic, and globally adaptable experiences that connect brands with fans in more meaningful ways.
In Summary
Perimeter advertising remains one of the most effective and enduring tools in sports marketing. It combines visibility, emotion, and technology to create high-impact brand moments that resonate with fans around the world.
As broadcast technology evolves and audience engagement continues to shift across platforms, the perimeter board, now increasingly digital and data-driven, will remain a central part of how sport and brands connect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Perimeter advertising refers to the strategic placement of advertisements along the edges or perimeters of a sports field or playing area during live broadcasts or events.
Commonly seen in sports like football, American football, and rugby, perimeter advertising utilises boards, banners, or digital displays situated around the playing surface.
These advertisements often showcase sponsor logos, brand messages, or promotional content and are strategically positioned to capture maximum visibility during televised or streamed broadcasts.
Perimeter advertising serves as a prominent and dynamic method for brands to gain exposure to a large audience, both in-stadium and through broadcast viewership.
The visual impact of perimeter advertising enhances brand recognition, reinforces sponsorships, and contributes to the overall commercial ecosystem of sports, providing a valuable platform for sponsors to connect with sports enthusiasts and consumers.
Sponsorship and advertising are two distinct but related concepts in the realm of sports marketing.
Sponsorship involves a broader and often ongoing relationship between the brand and the sports entity (team, event, athlete). Sponsors align themselves with the entity and may receive various rights and benefits beyond just visibility.
It aims to build a positive association between the brand and the sports entity, leveraging the entity's image, values, and fan base to enhance brand perception. It tends to involve visible branding but extends beyond traditional advertising. Logos may appear on jerseys, venues, and in promotional materials, providing continuous exposure.
Sponsorships are often long-term, lasting multiple seasons or years. The relationship is sustained over time to build brand affinity. They foster relationships with the sports entity's community and fan base, contributing to long-term brand loyalty. They also provide opportunities for deeper engagement through activations, events, and collaborations beyond traditional advertising channels.
Sponsorship deals often include exclusivity clauses, preventing direct competitors from securing similar sponsorship deals with the same entity. Additionally, they involve negotiated deals that may include a combination of cash, in-kind contributions, and additional benefits beyond simple visibility.
Advertising is typically transactional, where a brand pays for specific ad placements to reach the target audience. The relationship is often short-term and focused on the delivery of a particular message.
It is primarily focused on delivering a specific promotional message or call-to-action to drive immediate engagement, sales, or brand recall. Campaigns are generally shorter in duration, focusing on specific promotional periods or events. Engagement is surface level, delivering a message to the audience without the extended relationship-building seen in sponsorship. The focus is on immediate impact, aiming to capture attention and drive a specific response in a shorter time frame.
Advertising typically involves paid placements in designated spaces, such as TV commercials, billboards, or digital platforms, for a specified duration. It tends to involve a straightforward payment for ad placement based on factors like audience reach, timing, and platform
There is no inherent exclusivity, as multiple brands can advertise during the same event or platform.
While sponsorship and advertising share the goal of promoting a brand within the sports context, the depth, duration, and nature of the relationship distinguish the two approaches in sports marketing. Many successful sports marketing campaigns integrate both sponsorship and advertising strategies for a comprehensive impact.
The cost of advertising at football stadiums can vary widely based on several factors, including the size and popularity of the stadium, the specific location of the advertising space, the duration of the advertising campaign, and the level of exposure it offers. Here are some general considerations:
Location: Prime locations such as near the pitch, close to the TV-visible areas, or at high-traffic sections generally command higher prices.
Type of Advertising: Whether it's static signage, LED boards, or digital displays can influence costs. Digital and dynamic advertising spaces tend to be more expensive.
Team Popularity: The popularity and success of the soccer team can impact costs. Advertising in a stadium where a popular team plays may be more expensive.
Event Type: Costs may vary depending on whether it's a regular league match, a cup final, or an international game.
You can find out more about perimeter advertising in the Premier League here.
Stadium advertising can be highly effective, offering a range of benefits for brands aiming to connect with their target audience.
High Visibility: Stadiums provide a captive audience, and advertising in prominent locations, such as LED boards, banners, or scoreboards, ensures high visibility during live events. This exposure can enhance brand recall.
Targeted Audience: Sports events attract a specific demographic, allowing brands to target a passionate and engaged audience. This targeted approach can lead to higher engagement and resonance with consumers.
Brand Association: Associating with popular teams or events helps in building positive brand associations. Fans often transfer their positive feelings about their favourite teams to the sponsoring brands.
Global Reach: Major sports events are often broadcast globally, providing brands with the opportunity to reach a vast international audience, expanding brand recognition beyond the immediate stadium audience.
Dynamic Atmosphere: The energetic and emotional atmosphere of sports events contributes to the effectiveness of stadium advertising. Brands can leverage this atmosphere to create memorable and impactful campaigns.
Cross-Channel Impact: Stadium advertising extends beyond the venue itself. Through broadcasts, social media, and news coverage, the impact of stadium advertising can reach audiences across various channels.
While the effectiveness of stadium advertising depends on factors like creative execution, strategic placement, and the nature of the event, it remains a powerful tool for brands seeking to make a lasting impression in the sports marketing landscape.
The TV perimeter boards in the stadium can run your advertisement in different rotations. A range of displays can be used for your advertisement according to the mode. The length of each rotation is typically 30 seconds. The LED perimeter video board technology offers you diverse and versatile types of animation, which can be regularly adapted to your communication campaign using state-of-the-art technology.
Full rotation
Only one sponsor is visible on the entire perimeter board area. This type of rotation creates an uncluttered, homogeneous image with high contact intensity and long communication opportunities.
4:4 rotation
The TV perimeter board area is divided into four sections, and four sponsors are visible within a single rotation. This type of rotation generates visibility and contacts with an optimal combination of quality and quantity.
2:2 rotation
The TV perimeter board area is divided into four sections, with two sponsors each occupying two sections in a single rotation. This type of rotation also generates visibility and contacts with an optimal combination of quality and quantity.
Multisession
With this type of display, up to 14 sponsors are featured in perimeter board sections of equal size at the same time. The focus is on the brand’s logo or slogan. This rotation guarantees high contact figures as each sponsor is visible in every sequence.
SPORTFIVE is a global sports marketing agency that specialises in sports rights, marketing, and entertainment. We work with sports organisations, clubs, and brands to create and optimise commercial opportunities in the sports industry. SPORTFIVE is involved in various aspects of sports business, including the sale of broadcasting rights, sponsorship and partnership management, stadium naming rights, and other marketing initiatives.
SPORTFIVE creates innovative, engaging solutions that are worthy of the incredible sports, athletes and partners we work with, and the passionate fans who follow them. Campaigns are built collaboratively, based on trust and transparency, and enabled by a deep understanding of the industry, the agency’s global reach, digital intelligence and creative courage.
The result is gamechanging sports partnerships that redefine standards in the sports and entertainment space.
SPORTFIVE believes in the power of five - bringing brands, rights holders, media platforms, fans and ‘us’ together through sport.
SPORTFIVE is a global sports marketing agency that operates in the sports and entertainment industry. The agency specialises in various aspects of sports marketing, including the sale of sports media rights, sponsorship and partnership management, and the creation of marketing strategies for sports organisations, teams, and events. They work with a wide range of clients, including sports leagues, clubs, and brands, helping them maximise their commercial potential in the sports market.
SPORTFIVE is known for its expertise in negotiating and managing broadcasting rights, which involves securing deals for the distribution of sports content through various media channels. Additionally, they are involved in the management of sponsorship agreements, helping sports entities form partnerships with brands for mutual benefit.
SPORTFIVE is a global sports marketing agency that specialises in various aspects of the sports and entertainment industry. The agency works with sports organisations, teams, and brands to optimise commercial opportunities.
One of SPORTFIVE's key areas of focus is the sale and management of sports media rights, including broadcasting and digital distribution deals. They negotiate and facilitate partnerships, sponsorships, and naming rights for sports entities, helping them enhance their brand value and revenue streams.
Additionally, SPORTFIVE provides expertise in marketing strategies, assisting clients in building strong connections with their target audiences. Their comprehensive approach spans across the sports business landscape, from media rights to sponsorship management, contributing to the overall growth and success of their clients in the dynamic world of sports marketing.
Contact SPORTFIVE to discuss your commercialization goals and explore how their sponsorship sales and activation services can benefit your organization.
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