New National Study Finds Youth Sports Sponsorship Outperforms Traditional Advertising in Building Parent Trust

Priority Partnerships research conducted by YouGov Sport finds surprising advantages for youth sports sponsorship compared with professional sports and traditional advertising

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A new national study finds that youth sports parents are more likely to trust brands sponsoring their children’s sports programs than brands advertising through traditional channels. The findings suggest an opportunity to attract more corporate investment into youth sports, potentially helping programs offset rising costs for families. 

Key findings from the Priority Partnerships Youth Sports Sponsorship Study:

• Brand Trust: 68% say sponsorship of their child’s sports program would make them likely to trust a brand, compared with 47% for TV commercials and 38% for influencer posts.

• Brand Consideration: 71% say they would consider a brand named an Official Partner of their child’s sports program, compared with 56% when the brand is an Official Partner of their favorite professional team.

• Brand Trial: 64% say sponsorship of their child’s sports program would make them likely to try a company they’ve never used before, compared with 51% for professional sports sponsorship and 49% for college sponsorship.

“There’s a difference between seeing a company’s advertisement and seeing that company support something that’s important to your kids and family,” said Dan Scheinman, President of Priority Partnerships. “Now we have research that shows how parents respond to that support.”

As jersey sponsorships draw increased attention in professional and college sports, the research points to a potentially overlooked opportunity in youth sports. More than three-quarters (77%) of parents say they would be more likely to remember a sponsor on their child’s uniform than one on the uniform of a professional sports team they follow.

The findings also have implications beyond marketing. As families and youth sports organizations contend with the rising costs of participation, corporate sponsorship represents a potential source of funding that could help support programs and reduce their reliance on registration fees.

“One of the reasons we commissioned this research is that we believe there’s an opportunity to bring more corporate investment into youth sports,” Scheinman said. “If brands can see the marketing value of supporting these programs, there’s a stronger business case for investing in them. That has the potential to benefit the sponsors, youth sports operators, and the families these programs serve.”

The complete Priority Partnerships Youth Sports Sponsorship Study is available free of charge at: www.prioritypartnerships.com/sponsorshipinyouthsportsreport.

About the Study
The study was conducted by YouGov Sport among 1,004 U.S. parents ages 25-54 with children under 18 participating in organized sports. The online survey was fielded August 27-September 3, 2026.

About Priority Partnerships
Portland, Oregon-based Priority Partnerships is a sponsorship company specializing in youth sports. Priority Partnerships represents national youth sports properties including Stronger Youth Brands, the parent company of Soccer Shots and Little Kickers, SOCCER.COM, and Girls Soccer Network. Learn more at www.prioritypartnerships.com

About YouGov
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Above all, YouGov is powered by reality. That stems from a unique panel of millions of registered members across 64 markets, encapsulating some 18 million shopping trips and millions of interconnected data points. Our unique approach to recruiting and engaging with our panel, combined with our state-of-the-art technology platforms, enables us to deliver real-world, real-time insights that lead to better decision-making and a competitive advantage for our clients.
As innovators and pioneers of online market research, we have a strong reputation as a trusted source of accurate data and insights. Testament to this, YouGov data is regularly referenced by the global press, and we are consistently one of the most quoted market research sources in the world.
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For further information, visit yougov.com

Media Contact
Jacob Parris
Priority Partnerships
[email protected]

SOURCE Priority Partnerships