RESEARCH: Sports sponsorship in first place.

Sport continues to attract the lion's share of worldwide sponsorship accounting for 78% of the total reported worldwide last year. Sport has always dominated sponsorship; it accounted for 80% in 2002 and 77% in 2003.

The share taken by other sponsorship categories such as arts and culture (9%) and broadcast sponsorships (8%) is also relatively unchanged. In 2003 the figures were 6% and 9% respectively.

The 'other' category, which includes charities, cause-related sponsorships and venue sponsorship, showed some movement falling by 3%, due to a decline in the number of venue naming deals.

In late December 2004 there were almost 1,400 reported sponsorship deals for the year; up by 6% from 2003 and a 47% increase from 2000. The total global market size is much higher, by most estimates at around $30bn (#15.8bn). Just as the volume of reported new deals is higher this year, so is the total value. By the end of last year, TWSM had recorded new deals worth $6.4bn (#3.4bn) collectively against $5.8bn (#3.1bn) in 2003, an increase of 9%.

Some huge sport deals were announced during 2004 including sponsorships for the Beijing …