Ryder Cup Europe Wins Rights Holder of the Year at the European Sponsorship Association Awards

Ryder Cup Europe has won the Rights Holder of the Year Award at the prestigious European Sponsorship Association (ESA) Awards, which took place in London last night.

Ryder Cup Europe won the Award for its record-breaking sponsorship activation programme at the 2023 match in Rome. It was the biggest commercial programme in Ryder Cup history, with 37 partners in total and seven Worldwide Partners, with a record 153% increase in sponsorship revenue compared to the previous cycle. 

The ESA judging panel, comprised of industry experts from across Europe, praised the ability to authentically weave partner brands into the event’s storytelling to boost the fan experience. The ambitious hospitality programme was also praised, with 57,000 hospitality guests enjoying a premium experience during event week. Record-breaking social media engagement was also a highlight, with 13 original partner content strands achieving 20million impressions and 7million views.

Europe’s premier sponsorship Awards drew entries from across Europe, with more than 500 of the continent’s top sponsorship professionals gathering to celebrate and honour stand out work. Ryder Cup Europe beat stiff competition from AEG Global Partnerships, the Olympic Federation of Ireland and Paralympics GB to win the award.

The European Sponsorship Association is the essential and inclusive community for all professionals working in sponsorship. ESA offers education, guidance, representation, the recognition of excellence and the sharing of best practice and performance.

Speaking about the awards win Richard Atkinson, Chief Ryder Cup Officer at the European Tour group, said: “The ESA awards are the big ones in the European sponsorship calendar so to be named Rights Holder of the Year is a tremendous honour. We enjoyed a record high in our post Rome partner satisfaction survey, which really validates the investments we have made in our industry leading partnership sales and management functions. We are taking the momentum from Rome into the New York match this September, and Ireland in 2027, with even bigger partner programmes and bold new activation campaigns that will complement the return of several that proved so impactful in 2023.”