As the UK’s new online age verification laws roll out, a seemingly unrelated trend has quietly hit a milestone—record-breaking downloads of VPN apps.
It’s not a coincidence.
While much of the commentary focuses on privacy, access restrictions, and digital freedom, there’s another story brewing just beneath the surface. VPN brands are entering a hyper-competitive growth phase, and sport—particularly live sport—is quickly becoming one of their go-to arenas for visibility and scale.
This week, Leeds United became the latest Premier League club to ink a deal with NordVPN, following in the footsteps of a broader industry pattern: digital utility brands are evolving into mainstream advertisers, with sports properties acting as launchpads into mass consciousness.
So what’s really going on here?
A Sponsorship Category Worth Highlighting
Virtual Private Network (VPN) services have long been considered niche—used by tech-savvy users to safeguard privacy or access geo-restricted content. But in the post-COVID era of remote work, cross-border streaming, and rising digital censorship, VPNs have gone from utility to essential.
Now, with regulatory disruption accelerating, VPN brands are under pressure to:
- Differentiate in an increasingly commoditised market
- Build brand trust quickly
- Acquire loyal users beyond traditional tech-first audiences
Sport delivers on all fronts.
Whether it’s Premier League football, UFC, Formula 1, or cricket in the subcontinent, live sport is one of the few cultural products that still commands massive shared attention. For VPNs, this is a chance to show up not as back-end tech tools, but as consumer-facing lifestyle utilities.
Expect more deals—not fewer—as players like ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and NordVPN double down on awareness and fan engagement.
Why Sports Properties Should Take Note?
At 365247 Media, we see VPNs as a fast-rising, underexploited category with a unique alignment to the live sports experience. In many global markets, especially where digital rights, censorship, and streaming fragmentation are in play, VPNs are directly tied to how fans access sport.
For clubs, leagues, and rights holders, this opens up opportunities to:
- Create integrated partnerships focused on safe, secure, and borderless fan access
- Align with tech-forward, privacy-conscious brand values
- Build campaigns around digital freedom, fan empowerment, and next-gen streaming behaviour
The category also fits within a larger shift toward invisible infrastructure sponsorship—where cloud platforms, cybersecurity firms, fintech tools, and digital enablers invest in sport not just for reach, but for emotional credibility.
Positioning Your Property for VPN and Adjacent Brands
If you’re preparing for your next sales meeting, here’s how to frame VPNs (and adjacent sectors like password managers, cloud storage, or cybersecurity) as strategic fits:
1. Category Narrative:
Position your property as a gateway to digitally connected, globally curious, privacy-aware fans. Focus on your reach in regions with rising censorship or high digital literacy.
2. Storytelling Potential:
Build partnerships around themes like “Unblock the Game”, “Freedom to Watch”, or “Your Privacy, Your Play” to emotionally link VPN usage with the fan experience.
3. Value Integration:
Show how VPN brands can integrate beyond shirt sponsorships—through digital overlays, secure stream integrations, ambassador-led campaigns, or ‘behind the curtain’ access narratives.
4. Regulatory Awareness:
Help these brands navigate the sports sponsorship ecosystem legally and ethically. Many VPNs are wary of being seen as piracy enablers—your pitch should include proactive messaging guardrails.
Want to Tap Into the Next Wave of Sports Sponsors?
At 365247 Consultancy, we work with clubs, leagues, and sports organisations to identify emerging sponsorship categories before they hit saturation.
If you’re a rights holder, sales director, or agency exec looking to evolve your sponsorship portfolio, we can help you:
- Reposition your property for tech-forward categories like VPNs
- Develop smart narratives that resonate with both fans and regulatory watchdogs
- Turn overlooked digital trends into commercial gold
Get in touch to future-proof your sponsorship strategy.
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IMAGE: Tottenham Hotspurs
