Los Angeles has long defined what it means to be a major sports market — and now, there’s another big boost on the horizon. As the city’s National League champs return to the World Series and its SoFi Stadium is secured as a World Cup game venue, LA’s combination of global brands, elite teams, and fan passion make it a model for the modern sports sponsorship economy.

From baseball’s biggest stage to the global spotlight of 2026, LA continues to attract brands eager to connect with fans in one of the most competitive and culturally influential markets in North America. Whether it’s Crypto.com securing naming rights downtown or SoFi’s expansive footprint in sports marketing, investment in LA reflects both scale and influence — positioning the city as a proving ground for innovation across every major league.

LA Market Rundown

• Total Sponsorship Spend: $754M
• New Spend in Market: $178M
• Average Deal Size: $790K
• Deals Over $1M: 154
• Average Revenue per Team: $54M
• Top Spending Categories: Finance, Insurance, Healthcare
• Top Brands by Spend: Crypto.com, SoFi, Guggenheim Partners, Toyota, Intuit

Los Angeles ranks #2 among all U.S. and Canadian World Cup host markets by total sponsorship spend — and #3 in new sponsorship spend, with $178M in fresh investment over the past year. That surge underscores LA’s unmatched pull for both legacy partners and emerging brands entering the sports marketing space for the first time. From financial services to tech innovators, companies continue to view LA as a testbed for creative activations and influencer-driven engagement.

Category Leaders & Emerging Opportunities

Financial services dominate LA’s sponsorship landscape, contributing more than $166M in total spend, followed by Auto, Beverage (Alcohol), and Healthcare. The city’s professional teams — many of which carry global fanbases — make LA an anchor for high-value sponsorships targeting both domestic and international audiences.

But opportunity still exists for brands looking to carve a niche. The white space analysis (page 38) reveals underrepresentation in Gaming, Real Estate, and Consumer Electronics — categories primed for disruption as tech and entertainment increasingly converge. For challenger brands, these sectors offer room to grow through strategic team alignments and fan engagement activations.

Top Brands Powering LA’s Sponsorship Economy

LA’s biggest brand spenders bring both ambition and innovation to the table:

- Crypto.com — cementing its place with naming rights to the city’s iconic arena.
- SoFi — a model for fintech brand integration, with investments spanning multiple leagues.
- Guggenheim Partners & Intuit — long-term local investors in team and community partnerships.
- Toyota & CJ Group — leveraging multicultural and mobility narratives to engage diverse fan bases.

The city’s sponsorship economy thrives on this mix of global scale and local resonance — where brands not only spend big, but activate with purpose.

White Space Watch: Where Brands Can Win Next

According to SponsorUnited’s analysis, categories such as Gaming ($1M total spend), Real Estate ($6.1M), and Consumer Electronics ($5.5M) represent untapped territory across LA’s professional and collegiate sports landscape.

As tech and entertainment brands seek visibility ahead of the World Cup, these verticals stand out as entry points for authentic fan engagement — especially with LA’s reputation for innovation and influencer culture.

Closing Insight

Los Angeles’ sponsorship economy is already operating at World Cup scale. With $754 million in total spend and $178 million in new brand investment, the city continues to outpace nearly every U.S. and Canadian host market in both volume and ambition. For marketers, LA offers a preview of what’s next: partnerships that blur the lines between sport, culture, and commerce — and a marketplace where bold ideas don’t just launch, they lead.