The NHL sponsorship economy reached a record $1.7 billion in team sponsorship revenue during the 2025-26 season, growing nearly 9.7% year-over-year and 25.9% over the past two seasons. Yet the most important story isn't simply growth—it's how sponsorship investment is evolving.

While total deal volume remained relatively flat, average deal size climbed 11.4”% to $529,000, signaling that brands are committing more dollars to deeper, more integrated partnerships. The league now supports more than 3,100 active sponsorship deals across 2,200+ brands, making the NHL one of the most dynamic sponsorship ecosystems in professional sports.

The market is increasingly concentrated around a handful of powerful spending categories. Financial services remains the NHL's largest category, generating more than $250 million in sponsorship spend, followed by automotive, beverage alcohol, healthcare, construction & industrial, and technology. Meanwhile, brands such as Toyota, Molson Coors, AB InBev, Crypto.com, and Rogers Communications continue to expand their footprints across multiple teams and assets, demonstrating the value of long-term, portfolio-based sponsorship strategies.

Premium inventory is becoming harder to secure. The league's jersey patch ecosystem reached a new milestone this season, with 28 of 32 teams carrying a patch sponsor and just a handful of opportunities remaining. More than 80 active uniform sponsorship agreements are now in market, making jersey patches one of the NHL's most competitive and valuable sponsorship assets.

The NHL Sponsorship Intelligence Report analyzes the teams, brands, categories, assets, and athletes driving this growth. From sponsorship spend and category shifts to jersey patches, endorsements, and emerging market opportunities, the report provides a comprehensive look at where the industry stands today—and where it's headed next.

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