How Much Should Your Club Charge for Sponsorship?

One of the most common questions in grassroots sport is:

“How much should we charge for sponsorship?”

It’s a fair question.

But it’s often the wrong one.

Because most clubs don’t have a pricing problem.

They have a confidence problem.

 

Why Clubs Underprice Sponsorship

When setting sponsorship prices, many committees start with one thought:

“What will a local business be willing to pay?”

The result?

Prices are often based on guesswork rather than value.

A shirt sponsor might pay £250 one season and £500 the next, with no real reason behind either figure.

Sound familiar?

 

The Hidden Cost of Under-pricing

Under-pricing feels safe.

You worry that charging more might put sponsors off.

But under-pricing creates three problems:

• It reduces club income.
• It makes sponsorship harder to grow.
• It signals that the opportunity isn’t particularly valuable.

If your club doesn’t believe in its own value, why should a sponsor?

 

Start With Value, Not Price

Before setting a price, ask:

‘What does the sponsor receive?’

For example:

• Weekly exposure to local families
• Social media visibility
• Community goodwill
• Association with a trusted club
• Presence across an entire season

You’re not selling a logo.

You’re selling access to an audience.

That’s a very different conversation.

 

There Is No “Correct” Price

Many clubs search for a magic number.

It doesn’t exist.

A front-of-shirt sponsorship could be worth:

• £300 at one club
• £1,500 at another
• £5,000 at a larger organisation

The value depends on:

• Audience size
• Visibility
• Digital reach
• Community engagement
• What else is included

Pricing should reflect value, not what neighbouring clubs charge.

 

A Better Pricing Test

Instead of asking:

“Is this too expensive?”

Ask:

“Can we clearly explain why this costs what it costs?”

If the answer is yes, you’re probably closer than you think.

Sponsors are far more comfortable with higher prices when the value is obvious.

 

The Clubs Generating More Sponsorship Revenue Do One Thing Differently

They stop selling sponsorship as a favour.

And start presenting it as a partnership.

They can explain:

• Who their audience is
• What exposure sponsors receive
• How visibility is delivered
• Why local businesses benefit

That confidence changes everything.

 

How SNAP Helps

SNAP Sponsorship helps clubs turn instinct into evidence.

Using our built-in CRM and ROI Calculator, clubs can track sponsor conversations, manage opportunities, and calculate the value they deliver using over 75 industry metrics.

Clubs can then personalise this process by adding in their own data points, providing a better understanding of what their sponsorship opportunities are worth.

For example: A club with 100 members, who may all drive cars, could reach out to local MOT garages for sponsorship. The ROI calculator provides the average cost of an MOT service (£54.85), and then allows clubs to see what that total audience value is.

100 members x £54.85 = £5,485 in total sponsorship value. Even a 10% uplift from the same membership base provides £548.50 to a local MOT brand looking to increase their target audience.

SNAP also helps clubs generate professional outreach emails, ensuring every approach is backed by real data rather than guesswork.

The result?

Less time spent managing spreadsheets, more confidence in pricing, and a more professional approach to winning sponsors.

 

Key Takeaways

• Most clubs underprice sponsorship because they’re unsure of their value.
• Sponsorship pricing should be based on outcomes, not guesswork.
• There is no universal “correct” price.
• If you can clearly explain the value, you can justify the investment.
• Confidence is often the biggest pricing advantage a club can develop.

 

One Action You Can Take This Week

Choose one sponsorship opportunity your club currently offers.

Then write down every piece of value attached to it.

Not just the logo placement.

The audience. The visibility. The community connection.

You’ll probably discover it’s worth more than you thought.

 

Want to maximise your club’s sponsorship income? Get started with SNAP Sponsorship.