Despite the rising cost of living, sport continues to play a major role in household experiences. In 2024, attendances at UK professional sporting events exceeded 77 million – a post pandemic surge that has reignited fan appetite and reset brand strategies.
For rights holders, this has sparked increased sponsorship interest, the creation of new partnership categories, and fresh opportunities for brands to connect with fans across sports.
But as activations multiply, so does the competition. Presence is no longer enough. Brands must now deliver memorable, culturally relevant experiences that win attention in the moment and loyalty for the long-term.
The new era of B2C activations
One of the most visible trends is the return of global B2C activations. They’re a powerful tool to connect with audiences but today’s consumers expect novelty, intimacy and authenticity. That’s why the smartest activations are moving beyond traditional venues, increasingly showing up in high footfall urban spaces that reach not just die-hard fans but wider audiences who may have little prior connection to the sport.
At Velocity, we help brands navigate this shift, guiding them to design experiences that cut through, feel personal and spark lasting affinity.
Motorsport at the centre of change
Few sports illustrate this shift more clearly than motorsports.
Think Formula 1 and Formula E. Both are increasingly positioned not just as competitions, but as global entertainment platforms where brands can blend sport, culture and lifestyle.
Gone are the days when activations meant logos on cars or trackside hoardings. Today’s sponsors are placing immersive fan experiences front and centre of their marketing mix.
Take Formula E’s embrace of pop culture. The season finale in London became the 2025 Marvel Fantastic Four London E-Prix, with the upcoming film taking title sponsorship. Even race mechanics became part of the story, with Attack Mode reimagined in line with the theme. Around the track, fans immersed themselves in live concerts, the gaming arena and interactive activities for all ages. It was a full B2C entertainment ecosystem that positioned Formula E as a family-friendly spectacle, opening the sport to new audiences.
Formula 1 has gone further still, blending luxury, fashion, and culture into race week. The House of Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% at Palazzo Reale in Milan, ahead of the Monza GP, is a standout example. Framed by Italian elegance and style, the event brought Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton face-to-face with fans, paired with live TV coverage, music performances, Ray-Ban product collaborations, and culinary theatre. As Viviana Manera, Marketing Director at Birra Peroni, said: “From the outset, the aim of the partnership… has been to offer fans and enthusiasts unique and refined experiences.”
More than a brand party, it was a curated cultural celebration that turned a race weekend into a festival of style, passion and entertainment.
We’ve also seen the convergence of luxury x high-performance motorsport through skincare, with ELEMIS at Silverstone. In a category typically dominated by adrenaline and engineering, ELEMIS carved out space for pause and self-care, launching it’s first-ever trackside pop-up hotel. Designed to speak directly to F1s growing female fandom, the activation offered a curated menu of ‘Pit Stop’ treatments to deliver moments of calm and luxury self-care.
Tapping into the female racegoer is necessary for brands. In 2024, women made
38% of Silverstone’s footfall – a number that continues to grow year-on-year. The impact was immediate and measurable with ELEMIS expanding the campaign across five additional cities. This signals a clear appetite for inclusive brand experiences that meet fans where they are both physically and mentally.
Beyond the circuit
This trend isn’t limited to motorsport.
Weetabix’s ‘Weetaboxpark’ activation in 2023, in partnership with the England Women’s Football Team ahead of the FIFA World Cup, reimagined London’s Boxpark venue – known for raucous fan celebrations – into a wholesome breakfast-themed space. Early-morning screenings, family-friendly activities, athlete appearances and content built around health, food, and sport. The campaign attracted significant media attention, with major outlets broadcasting live from the venue. The result was not just increased brand visibility, but brand affinity powered by relevance and creativity thoughtfully woven into the consumer experience.
The lesson across sport? Moden activations need to meet the audiences where they are, not just where the sport happens.
The rise of the ‘always-on’ mindset
Today’s fans don’t just engage on race day or at kick-off. They live in an always-on, on-demand fandom that blends memes with match highlights and intersects with fashion, art, music and social causes. They engage across platforms and have high expectations for how brands show up in the culture.
And brands that meet fans at these cultural touchpoints are the ones cutting through. Whether through fashion capsules or music partnerships, B2C activations offer more freedom than ever to show up for the modern fandom.
The Velocity playbook
At Velocity, our approach always starts with the same questions:
Why?
What’s the purpose?
What’s the end goal?
Who’s the target audience?
Get those right and you can cut through the noise and leave a lasting impression without breaking the bank. That’s the key to unlocking brand affinity.
Because in the end, whether it’s a Marvel branded FE race or a luxury F1brand festival, the winning activations are those that make fans feel seen, included and inspired.
