Fishing tournament sponsorship expected to grow

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Sponsorship of saltwater fishing tournaments are likely to follow in the footsteps of sports like NASCAR and even its close cousin, freshwater fishing tournaments, according to a recent article on Forbes.com.

Thus far, sponsorship has been limited to underwriting tournaments rather than specific teams and come from within the marine industry. But with tournaments, winnings and television coverage of the sport on the rise, mainstream corporate sponsorships are likely to follow, the article suggested.

For one, a sponsorship industry study reports that a professional fishing fan is 72 percent more likely to use a sponsor’s product then a competitor’s, compared to NFL fans, whose audience is only 36 percent more likely to pick a sponsor’s product, according to the article.

“We see the sport as being where NASCAR was 15 to 20 years ago,” a Coca-Cola spokesperson told the magazine.

Ocean fishing yachts each offer up about 65 feet of prime real estate for sponsors to fill with their logos, not to mention crew apparel and team and tournament Web site advertising, the article points out.

• For more of the latest news, click here.