By Riccardo Tafà| Posted January 1, 2025 | In Sport Sponsorship, Sports Marketing
By Riccardo Tafà| Posted January 1, 2025 | In Sport Sponsorship, Sports Marketing
The realm of sport public relations offers a dynamic landscape for scholars, educators, and practitioners to delve into. The expansion of both professional and university sports worldwide has brought about an array of opportunities for engagement and interaction with fans. The surge in media coverage, in particular, driven by the ever-growing demand for sports information among fans, has significantly impacted the revenue streams of sport organizations. This article delves into the multifaceted world of sport public relations, analyzing its various dimensions, educational aspects, research opportunities, and potential challenges.
With the meteoric rise of professional and university sports across the globe, fans now have access to an extensive array of live and mediated viewing options. This burgeoning demand has led to heightened media coverage, which, in turn, has augmented the revenue generation of sports organizations through increased broadcasting contracts, merchandise sales, and more. For instance, broadcasting giants like ESPN have signed multi-billion dollar contracts with leagues such as the NFL to broadcast games, further amplifying revenue streams.
As sport public relations emerges as a critical field, educational institutions have adapted to address the growing interest in this arena. Textbooks and academic programs have started to encompass sport public relations, acknowledging its significance. Several universities offer specialized courses or dedicated programs in sport public relations. Examples include Northern Michigan University’s Entertainment and Sport major, the University of North Carolina’s Sport Communication Program, and Bradley University’s Sport Communication Program. Moreover, universities not exclusively focused on public relations, such as the University of Michigan and Indiana University, integrate sport-related courses within their programs, catering to the demand for specialized education in this field.
Media relations constitute a cornerstone of sport public relations practice. The symbiotic relationship between media and sports organizations is vital in disseminating information to fans. However, research reveals a potential disconnect between sports information directors (SIDs) and athletic directors regarding the efficacy of media relations. While media coverage is extensive, its impact on fan behavior remains a question. Scholars and practitioners have an opportunity to investigate the effectiveness of media coverage, especially its ability to attract new fans and influence casual fans to increase their involvement.
Media relations tactics, particularly in the context of sports, play a pivotal role. Game stories, for instance, serve as a means of communicating sporting events to fans. However, their impact on fans’ behavior warrants further exploration. An investigation into how game stories affect existing fans versus potential new fans could provide insights into crafting more effective media relations strategies. Moreover, the potential of human interest stories remains underutilized in sport public relations. Research could shed light on the influence of these stories on target audiences, thereby improving relationships with stakeholders like students and alumni.
The growing prominence of sport public relations beckons for deeper exploration. Researchers have ample opportunities to delve into various dimensions. Research avenues include strategies for revenue generation and fan support, the impact of sport sponsorship on consumer behavior, the role of product placement in sports, community relations’ influence on corporate social responsibility, and crisis management stemming from sponsors, fans, or athletes.
In the ever-evolving landscape of sport public relations, scholars, educators, and practitioners stand at a crossroads of opportunities and challenges. The dynamic interplay between media, fans, organizations, and educational institutions paints a complex picture. As sports continue to captivate global audiences, the need for evidence-based strategies becomes paramount. Collaborative efforts between academia and practice could bridge gaps and foster advancements in this domain. With a plethora of unexplored research opportunities, sport public relations holds the potential to shape the future of both the sports industry and the field of public relations itself.
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Managing Director for RTR Sports, Riccardo graduated in law at the University of Bologna. He began his career in London in PR, then started working in two and four-wheelers. A brief move to Monaco followed before returning to Italy. There he founded RTR, first a consulting firm and then a sports marketing company which, eventually, he moved back to London.
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Read MoreIn an era where it is possible to get anywhere with a click, there is a strong temptation to approach teams and properties directly for sponsorship projects.
By doing so, we are convinced that we are shortening the value chain, saving time and money. However, these DYI methods are anything but risk-free and what initially appears to be a competitive advantage soon turns into a problem that is difficult to resolve. That’s why there are agencies. And this is why you should rely on us for your sponsorships.
When first approaching a motorsport sponsorship project, it is difficult to know immediately which stakeholders are correct, what the decision flow is, and what the right timelines are for each process. Motorsport is a very specialized field of action, and fitting effectively into its paths can take a lot of time and therefore money. We, on the other hand, know referents and spheres of action and know who to talk to, when and how. So you are also more effective.
Motorsport is an immense passion, and for our heart colors we would be willing to do anything. But business is a different business, and it is important to make the best possible strategic decisions based on independent research, statistics and reliable data. A motorsport sponsorship agency like RTR has an objective, 360-degree picture of the scenario and can tell you what is really best for you: which racing series, which athlete, which team. This is because we possess a great deal of data and information on ratings, segmentation and attitudes. Because the numbers don’t lie. Never.
Activations are the real heart of motorsport sponsorship. Without them, there remains only a blank sticker on a motorcycle, car or uniform and no contact with the public, no emotional connection, no impact on the bottom line. Then how do you do it? It certainly won’t be the teams or the athletes who will help you leverage sponsorship and enjoy the many marketing rights you have paid for. To bring out the best in a motorsport marketing project, you need an agency that knows how to use sponsorship to engage the fanbase online, to reach out to Shopping Centers, to organize hospitality, to develop B2B and B2C opportunities, and to get “your” athletes in front of millions of potential consumers.
Would you ever go to the dealer who sold you the car and ask if the competitor’s car is better? No, of course. So, how do you expect to get firm measurements of the effectiveness of your sponsorship if you do not rely on someone super partes? At RTR, we have always worked with independent third-party agencies that allow us to know the return on any exposure of your brand on TV and in the media. In addition, we believe in calculating ROI as the ultimate measure of your success-so we can tell you for every penny you spend how much you are making.
We have been involved in motorsport sponsorship and sports marketing for more than 15 years. We are consultants in the sense that our goal is to maximize your investment, but we are also an agency that manages the project from start to finish. We have been doing this since 1995 with passion and professionalism, following three principles that have become cornerstones of our business: independence, verticality and transparency.
I would like to highlight the fact that one of the qualities of RTR is its great ability to approach the sponsorship scenario strategically, together with its passionate attitude, its amazing enthusiasm for solving problems, and its high level of professionalism.
Gianluca Degliesposti
Executive Director Server&Storage EMEA
Eurosport is truly delighted with its business relationship with Riccardo Tafà, who has become extremely popular, thanks to his detailed knowledge of the sports marketing sector and his highly diligent attitude to work.
Francois Ribeiro
Commercial Director
Passion and Expertise are the features that I have found in RTR since the very beginning. Serious and reliable professionals but also very helpful, nice and open-mind people, willing to listen and compare different ideas. All the values in which RTR believes make this agency a partner, not just a supplier, a partner with whom we have had the opportunity to achieve significant commercial results in term of success and image.
Luca Pacitto
Head of Communication
We have been working with RTR Sports Marketing for over 10 years. The objectives and the programmes of collaboration continue to be renewed and to grow with mutual satisfaction. I believe RTR is a team of great professionals led by Riccardo Tafà, who I consider a manager of exceptional skills and with a great passion for his work.
Lucio Cecchinello
Team Principal
I have known and worked with Riccardo Tafà since 1995 when we collaborated for the first time on a project for the Williams Formula 1 team. Several clients followed. After leaving Williams to work for Gerhard Berger then owner of the Toro Rosso F1 Team, I turned again to Riccardo to seek his help in finding a tool supplier for the team and Riccardo duly obliged with an introduction to USAG, a partnership with Toro Rosso which endured for five years. I recently started a new role as Group Commercial Director for the renowned Andretti Autosport organisation and I find myself working with Riccardo once again on a number of interesting projects. Why has this relationship with Riccardo endured ? He’s smart, knows the commercial side of sport inside out and back to front and he’s honest and trustworthy. Riccardo Tafà is a “doer” not a “talker”: in over 20 years I have never had a dispute either with him or with a company that he has introduced and each partnership introduced by Riccardo has delivered quantifiable ROI to rights holder and sponsor alike. I can think of no better testimonial of Riccardo’s diligence, knowledge, contact base and hard work than that.
Jim Wright
Group Commercial Director
The online platform where you can discover the latest trends, strategies and insights from the exciting world of sports marketing.
View our blog
September 24, 2025
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September 4, 2025
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