26 May 2025 03:33am
KFC achieved the best brand exposure of guernsey sponsors for the AFL’s recent Gather Round according to a YouGov Sport survey.
The fast-food giant featured on the guernseys of four clubs – Port Adelaide, Collingwood, Richmond and Hawthorn.
That led to 48 minutes of cumulative screen time, giving it top visibility over the four-day event.
This was a solid achievement given rival, McDonald’s is a major AFL partner with comprehensive integration across AFL assets.
Its branding appears on the match ball and is central to the league’s Kick2Kick where fans can come onto the field after some matches to kick a ball around.
The burger brand received 37 more minutes of exposure across all their assets with only a tiny bit of guernsey exposure on the Lions jumper.
YouGov Sport’s analysis measured on-screen exposure and Net Sponsorship Value (NSV) from guernsey placements across all 18 AFL clubs.
The research showed that guernsey branding generated a total of $12.2 million in NSV from 12.5 hours of broadcast coverage.
Back-of-guernsey positions were the highest-value placements, narrowly outperforming front-spot sponsors by around $10,000 per club.
Using its NSV-X methodology, which adjusts for fan brand sentiment, YouGov found that KFC’s Port Adelaide sponsorship saw the highest uplift with a $79,000 increase.
Toyota’s partnership with the Adelaide Crows recorded the largest percentage gain, with a 21% improvement in brand perception.
South Australian boutique venues such as Norwood Oval and Barossa Park provided more screen time per club than Adelaide Oval, averaging 49 minutes per team compared with 36 minutes.
However, matches at the larger venue delivered greater sponsorship value due to higher broadcast audiences, particularly for matches in prime-time slots.
Port Adelaide’s home game on Sunday night generated the most value of any club, at $1.4 million, despite the absence of an upper back sponsor following GFG Alliance’s exit as a club partner.
Brisbane Lions and Youi achieved the most exposure for a single brand partnership, with 31 minutes of coverage.
The insurer appears on both the front and back of the players’ guernsey and was one of six sponsors during the round with dual-position branding.
YouGov Sport's Max Wright said NSV-X results offer “an insightful indication of how much more valuable partnerships can be when fans see brands in a positive light.”
Gather Round attracted an estimated live TV audience of 6.5 million. Around 270,000 tickets were sold to fans attending the games.
