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US brands shelled out $1.2 billion supporting live music performances in 2011, a more-than 7% spike on the previous year’s total, says IEG. Live Nation upped its year-on-year sponsorship revenue by 13.5% in the first nine months of the year to $147 million.

Global spending on sports will increase by an average of 3.7% a year to $145 billion in 2015, with revenues boosted by the 2012 London Olympics and 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, according to a study, Changing The Game, by PricewaterhouseCoopers. “The cake is growing,” says PwC. “The real competition is around who can deliver the most entertaining and compelling offerings that will claim the biggest slices.”

LVMH is partnering with Central St Martins to sponsor the London design college’s move to a new £200 million building near Kings Cross. That means cash for the building’s cool new lecture theatre, scholarships and an internship programme for the college’s students and graduates to get work experience with the company’s fashion brands.

By Maria Stadtmueller. Major sponsors Coca-Cola and adidas have expressed concerns over the ongoing bribery allegations at international footballing body FIFA.

“The current allegations being raised are distressing and bad for the sport,” says Coca-Cola. “We have every expectation that FIFA will resolve this situation in an expedient and thorough manner.”

“adidas enjoys a long-term, close and successful partnership with FIFA that we are looking forward to continuing,” says the sports brand. “adidas will be an official sponsor of FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil.

Sony Music Entertainment UK has appointed ad representation outfit Burst Media as the exclusive seller of display advertising, including integrated campaigns and sponsorship on its website.
“This is the perfect marriage of two brands that have expertise reaching engaged audiences,” said Samantha Sawyer, vp digital gusiness group, Sony Music UK. “No other entertainment, interest or lifestyle [...]

Does that queen’s antechamber of yours look to be in need of a makover? Then the brand you have to get in touch with is Martell. For the cognac maker has restored that very room at Versailles, making good shabby canvases, chipped paintwork and other ornate bits and pieces of regality for a piece of [...]

Consumers think content sponsored by a major brand is likely to be of high quality, given the sponsoring brand‘s willingness to be associated with it, according to The Consumer & Content report just published by AOL/Data & Management Counsel.
“I would think if it was brought to you by Kraft or something then you know maybe the content is probably a little bit more reliable,” one consumer said in a focus group.

Going to music events is the top live leisure activity among 16-to-34 year-old men in the UK, according to IPC’s Today’s Man: Live! research.
Almost two thirds of males surveyed said they attended a live music event in the last year, compared to just 55% who’d gone to a football match. Going to gigs was the most popular of live music experience, ahead of festivals.
The survey also showed that music is hugely important to young men, with 69% saying that it is part of their identity and defines who they are.