Sponsorship can be the difference between a club that scrapes by and one that thrives , funding jerseys, gear, travel to competitions, race entry fees, or the coaching and infrastructure that helps players, athletes, and drivers grow. Whether you’re running an esports org, a local sports club, or a motorsport team, sponsors don’t just fall into your lap. Here’s how to find them, pitch them, and keep them.
Finding Potential Partners
Potential partners may already be within your community. Reach out to current and past members, players, drivers, and parents and ask if they know anyone who might be interested in becoming a sponsor.
If that doesn’t turn anything up, look into your local and industry community. What kind of businesses have sponsored you in the past, or sponsor other clubs, teams, or events in your space? For esports orgs, think gaming cafes, PC hardware retailers, energy drink brands, ISPs, local tech businesses, and streaming services. For sports clubs, think pubs, physios, real estate agents, and local franchises. For motorsport teams, think panel shops, tyre and parts suppliers, fuel and oil brands, local garages, and race gear retailers. In every case, don’t overlook traditional local businesses like restaurants or real estate agents who want visibility with an engaged, loyal audience.
Once you’ve identified some potential businesses to target, reach back into your community. Does anyone know someone who works there? A direct, personal introduction or even a well-crafted cold email with a proposal attached can go a long way, especially when it comes from a genuine place and clearly shows what your club is about.
Building Your Initial Sponsorship Proposal
Once you have a hit list of businesses to contact, you need a proposal that introduces your club or organization properly. This should include:
Your Unique Selling Point (USP)
- Why would a business choose your club or team over another, or another sport, game, or category to partner with?
- What do you stand for? What are your values and purpose, and can you articulate these clearly?
- What is your “why”?
- Why are you looking for support? What will the sponsorship help you achieve (e.g. new gaming chairs and peripherals, training kit, entry fees for a regional tournament or race meet, travel costs to an away game or event)?
What Is Your Community Reach?
- How many members, players, drivers, or followers does your club have?
- How many people are on your email list or Discord/club database?
- How many followers do you have across social platforms?
- What’s your website traffic like?
- Do you stream, race, or play in front of live crowds? What are your average viewer or spectator numbers?
- Is there signage or trackside/pitchside branding opportunity? How many people would see it per week or per event?
- Are you featured in gaming, local, or motorsport media?
Instead of scrambling to pull screenshots and stats together from five different places, this is exactly where your club profile on EsportsPro speaks a thousand words. A complete, up-to-date profile gives potential sponsors an instant, professional snapshot of your reach, your roster, your achievements, and your story , all in one link you can drop straight into an email or DM.
How Long Should the Partnership Be?
It’s best to always try to ask partners to agree to a two-year deal or longer. It’s expensive and time-consuming to start from scratch every year, especially if you need to change logos on jerseys, overlays, or equipment. You could suggest a price for year one, year two, and beyond scaled up or down as the partnership grows.
What Types of Sponsorship Can You Offer?
- Naming rights — a partner who commits significant funding and has their name incorporated into your club or team’s name.
- Jersey or kit sponsors — logo placement on jerseys, hoodies, race suits, or gear.
- Equipment sponsors — a hardware brand backing your keyboards, mice, headsets, and chairs, or team balls, bibs, and kit bags, or tyres, fuel, and parts for a motorsport team.
- Broadcast or livery sponsors — “Matches brought to you by [Sponsor]” on stream overlays, or logo placement on a race car livery.
- Player, MVP, or Driver of the Week/Month, brought to you by a sponsor.
- Umpire or official sponsors — e.g. “Officials brought to you by the Local Optometrist.”
- Junior or academy program sponsors — a business backing your development pathway, junior reps, or up-and-coming drivers.
- Tournament, competition, or event sponsors — a partner backing a specific competition, LAN, race meet, or event you run or attend.
How Will You Reward a Sponsor?
If a business gives you money, what do they get in return?
- Where and when will you display their logo and acknowledge their support?
- How often — e.g. logo on stream overlay every match, shoutout in your newsletter to X members four times a year?
- How can you promote their products or services to your community and help them see a return on their investment?
- If you’re offering sponsorship of a specific team or event, when and where will that be promoted, celebrated, and acknowledged?
Factors That Create Sponsorship Value
Some of the components that come into play when valuing sponsorship packages:
- What are sponsors actually willing to pay?
- How big is your audience? (Players, Discord members, social followers, stream viewers, website visitors, email subscribers, and the broader local/gaming community.)
- How well can you engage that audience — through match-day shoutouts, newsletters, social posts, stream overlays, VODs, and highlight content?
- What’s your ability to influence audience behavior (click-throughs, sign-ups, purchases)?
- How do sponsors value the inclusions? (Beyond visibility, this can include hosting them for watch parties, LAN meetups, or client hospitality, opening the door to budgets beyond just marketing.)
Ways to Create Value for Sponsors Online
Your club’s social channels and Discord are a great way to promote sponsors, and you can use platform analytics to measure click-through rates from your content to a sponsor’s site or page. Consider:
- Sponsor logos on your website and EsportsPro profile
- Sponsor call-to-action banners (“click here for a free trial”)
- A rotating monthly Sponsor Spotlight on social media
- Sponsor logos on stream overlays and social banners
- Sponsor branding on member/community emails
- A Sponsored Player or MVP of the Week/Month
- Tagging sponsors across all of the above
Other Ways to Create Value for Sponsors
- Sponsor logos on player jerseys or team merch
- Sponsor branding at LAN booths or event setups
- Match sponsors (“Today’s match brought to you by…”)
- Peripheral or gear sponsors
- “Thank you to our sponsors” shoutouts in stream and Discord
- Inviting sponsors to finals, watch parties, or special events
How Do You Set a Price?
Ask around — other clubs, orgs, or teams with sponsors are often happy to share what they receive and what they charge.
Hint: if this is the first proposal a business is receiving from you, don’t lead with a price. Invite them to get in touch for more details instead, framing it as wanting to build a partnership with benefits and pricing tailored to their needs and budget.
What Should the Proposal Look Like?
Keep it as professional as possible. Use tools like Canva or PowerPoint if someone in your club has the skills. Use plenty of visuals to show what kind of club or org you are and the experience you offer your members and community. Keep it short and sharp, most small businesses will only spend a couple of minutes reading it, so grab their attention early.
Always finish with your contact details and a clear ask to discuss the opportunity further in person or over a call, so you can build a true partnership. Proposals could also include:
- Photos and contact details
- Club/org background and history
- Membership numbers and community details
- Your audience and ability to communicate with them
- Social and streaming details, with audience numbers
- Your players and roster
- Community and fundraising events
- Future plans and goals
- A message from your founder or president
- Sponsorship tiers (e.g. Gold, Silver, Bronze)
Using Video to Enhance Your Proposal
Today’s technology makes it easy to put together simple but high-quality video content with just a smartphone. Video is one of the most engaging and emotive ways to communicate, and an effective way to invite new sponsors into your community. Consider a short video that highlights your club, its story, what the funds will be used for, and a personal invitation to partner up.
Document the Agreement
Once you land a sponsor, document the agreement clearly. It protects both your club and your sponsor, keeps everyone clear on responsibilities, and makes it far easier to deliver on your promises.
Ready to Make Sponsorship Easier?
Chasing screenshots, follower counts, and stats from a dozen different platforms every time you want to pitch a sponsor is a hassle and it makes your club look less prepared than it actually is.
On EsportsPro, your club profile speaks a thousand words. Set up your profile once, showcase your fanbase, achievements, and community reach in one place, and build out your sponsorship packages so potential partners can see exactly what’s on offer, no scrambling required.
👉 Sign up on EsportsPro today, set up your club profile, and start building your sponsorship packages.
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