The Nature of Commitment in Sport Sponsorship Relations Available to Purchase

The main focus of the paper is an examination of the nature of sponsor commitment to a team, an event or a sport. Established notions of “sponsor commitment” typically involve the sponsor engaging in a transaction with a sponsored property. Through this process a sum of money is paid to property managers in return for which the sponsor expects to achieve a tangible outcome. The paper argues that this is a crude view of commitment, and highlights the relevance of a more collaborative and relational perspective of sponsor commitment. It begins with an examination of the relationship literature, highlighting the important role of commitment between collaborative partners, and concludes by exploring a range of implications for sponsorship managers embracing a broader view of commitment.