24.08.2026
SWR draws on sport management expertise from Tübingen
A recent article by German public broadcaster Südwestrundfunk (SWR) on corporate sports sponsorship draws on expertise from Tübingen.
Why do sponsors invest millions in sporting events? What strategic objectives do brands pursue through their involvement in sport, and what opportunities and challenges does this create for organized sport? These questions are explored in a recent article by the German public broadcaster Südwestrundfunk (SWR) on Lidl’s sponsorship of the Deutschland Tour cycling race. In this article, Marcel Fahrner (Institute of Sports Science) addresses these questions and contextualizes the role and significance of sport sponsorship from a sport management perspective.
»» Sportsponsoren [suchen] thematische Bezugspunkte, die bei ihren Zielgruppen mit positiven Erlebnissen verknüpft sind. „Radfahren als umweltfreundliche und gesundheitsfördernde Mobilitätsform ist unter diesen Aspekten natürlich attraktiv“, so Fahrner gegenüber dem SWR. (…) Aber, und darauf weist Fahrner hin: „Auch wenn Sportsponsoring ein Unternehmen weder nachhaltiger noch sportlicher macht, gerade in einem vermeintlichen Widerspruch zwischen Sponsor und Gesponsertem kann besonderes strategisches Entwicklungspotenzial stecken.“ Ziel sei letztlich immer, die im Sponsoring kommunizierten Werte langfristig im Verhalten der Kundschaft und im unternehmerischen Handeln zu verankern. ««
[»» Sport sponsors seek thematic associations that are linked to positive experiences among their target groups. “Cycling, as an environmentally friendly and health-promoting form of mobility, is attractive in this regard,” Fahrner told SWR. However, as Fahrner points out: “Even if sport sponsorship does not make a company any more sustainable or more athletic, particular strategic potentials may lie precisely in a seemingly contradictory relationship between the sponsor and the sponsored property.” Ultimately, the aim is always to embed the values communicated through sponsorship within both customer behaviour and corporate practice. ««]
The article highlights the relevance of sponsorship for major sporting events and discusses potential tensions between commercial interests and the integrity of sporting competition. The academic inquiry into these topics is a key part of research and teaching in sport management at the University of Tübingen.
Share
