Oliver Wolfs
Most football clubs run their commercial operations the same way they did in 2005. Sponsor contracts live in a shared Google Drive. Rights are tracked on a spreadsheet three people edit simultaneously. Hospitality is coordinated over WhatsApp the week before every home game. The system holds together — until it doesn't.
The commercial stakes have never been higher. The global sports sponsorship market is projected to reach $71.75 billion in 2026, growing at 9.2% per year through 2034. Football sits at the centre of that growth.
A mid-table professional club typically manages 30–60 sponsor relationships. Each comes with its own rights packages, deliverables, activation schedules, and renewal windows. The operational complexity is real — and the tools most clubs use to manage it aren't.
This article covers the platforms built to close that gap. From purpose-built sports software to the generic CRMs clubs press into service — here's what's available in 2026.
Each platform solves a different part of the problem. The right choice depends on club size, budget, and the real complexity of the commercial department.
| Platform | Starting Price | Best For | Free Trial | Hospitality Module | AI Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| wehave | €0 (free tier) | Football clubs of all sizes | Yes — no card required | Yes (Enterprise) | Yes — Coach Vic AI |
| KORE Software | Custom quote | Major franchises & large venues | No | Partial (ticketing/suites) | No |
| SponsorCX | Custom quote | US sports properties, universities | No | Lighter VIP tracking | Limited |
| EngageRM | Custom (D365 + EngageRM) | Microsoft-committed organisations | No | No dedicated module | No |
“Full disclosure: wehave is our product. We built it after watching football clubs track multi-million euro commercial operations on Excel. We believe it belongs at the top of this list — but we'd say that, wouldn't we?”
wehave is the commercial operations platform built exclusively for professional and semi-professional sports clubs. It replaces the spreadsheets, email chains, and WhatsApp groups that commercial teams use to manage partnerships. CRM, rights tracking, hospitality, automated reporting, partner portals, invoicing, and AI — all in a single platform.
For football clubs specifically, the fit is direct. The platform understands seasons, matchdays, renewal cycles, and hospitality packages by design. Not by configuration — by design.
Free plan at €0 — 10 partnerships, 1 partner portal, 1 user, no credit card required. Starter at €69/month (annual), Growth at €199/month (annual), Pro at €499/month (annual). Monthly plans are available at roughly a 20% premium. Enterprise is custom-priced and includes hospitality management, B2B ticketing, the Data Clean Room, multi-club access, and a dedicated account manager with SLA.
Three things separate wehave from every other platform on this list. First, the free tier is real: no credit card, no demo call, no implementation project. Every competitor requires a sales conversation before you can see a number.
Second, the platform was built for sports-commercial teams from the ground up. Seasons, matchdays, rights, hospitality packages, and renewal cycles are native concepts — not bolt-ons.
Third, Coach Vic AI is genuinely proactive. It reads contracts and creates deals, flags approaching renewals, and works via WhatsApp. That's not a generic chatbot — it's a commercial co-pilot.
The honest caveats: wehave has been live since 2025, so it has fewer multi-year case studies than KORE or SponsorCX. Hospitality and the Data Clean Room require the Enterprise plan. Clubs that need those features but can't reach Enterprise pricing should factor that in.
wehave reports that commercial teams of 3+ typically save €15,000/year in tools replaced. The same teams have €100,000+ in manual work automated annually. For hospitality coordination alone, the saving reaches €45,000+/year at a typical First Division club across a 17-game home season.
Best for: Professional and semi-professional football clubs of any size that want a purpose-built platform — from a First Division club managing 30 sponsors to an enterprise club running hospitality across a full home season. Skip if: You need hospitality or the Data Clean Room but can't stretch to the Enterprise plan, or you want a platform with several years of public track record before committing.
50+ clubs including RSC Anderlecht, Royal Antwerp FC, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, KAA Gent, KV Mechelen, Feyenoord, and PSV. Tomorrowland is also a client.
On the sponsor side, Sunweb Group uses the Data Clean Room to measure partnership ROI. They matched customer data against Anderlecht's fanbase and found audience overlap that more than doubled their sponsorship-driven growth.
“I see new solutions every year. The only time I was impressed, was with wehave.”
Commercial Director, RUSG
KORE was founded in 2002 and built its position through acquisitions — including SponServe in 2018 and Sports Alliance in 2022. In October 2024, Two Circles acquired KORE. The site now brands as "KORE, A Two Circles Platform."
Two Circles brings real weight. 1.6 billion fan data profiles analysed per year, four consecutive years named in The Sunday Times 100. KORE itself reports serving 700+ organisations.
Custom enterprise quote model. No self-serve path, no public pricing, no free tier. KORE requires a full sales process — scoping call, demo, contract negotiation — before any pricing is visible. The enterprise quote-only model and months-long implementation put it out of reach for clubs outside the top tier.
KORE is the most established platform in this category. Two decades of development, multiple acquisitions, and the backing of Two Circles' global sports data business. That depth is real — for organisations built at that scale.
That depth doesn't translate for most professional football clubs. KORE's confirmed client base is major NFL and NBA franchises, MLS teams, and large venues. The implementation timeline is weeks to months. No pricing is visible before a sales call. For a club needing to be operational before next season, that's a meaningful constraint.
These aren't KORE problems — they're structural ones. KORE was built for the top 5% of the industry. The pricing and process reflect that.
Best for: Major franchise organisations — NFL, NBA, MLS, large arenas and venues — with existing Salesforce infrastructure and the budget for a full enterprise rollout. Skip if: The club needs to see pricing before a sales call, wants to be live in weeks rather than months, or is working with a typical professional football club budget.
Confirmed clients include Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, LA Rams, NY Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans (NFL); Golden State Warriors, NY Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs (NBA); MSG Company, NASCAR, LAFC, San Jose Sharks, NY Mets, LaLiga, and Arizona State Sun Devils.
SponsorCX was founded in 2017 and positions itself as "The Leader in Sponsorship Management." Its core proposition maps to four stages: Centralize, Automate, Track, Report. It serves both sides of the partnership — clubs selling sponsorships AND brands managing their own portfolios.
That dual-sided model is unusual in this category. It makes SponsorCX relevant for agencies and multi-property organisations. The closest mid-market alternative to KORE in positioning and maturity.
For football clubs specifically, the client evidence leans US. Portland Timbers and FC Naples are on the roster. Bath Rugby provides the strongest non-US testimonial.
No public pricing. SponsorCX removed its public pricing page entirely — a "$299/month" figure that circulates on third-party sites likely belongs to a different vendor. Contact SponsorCX directly for current pricing.
SponsorCX does the core sponsorship workflow — centralizing, tracking, and reporting — cleanly and without overcomplicating it. Teams that have lived in spreadsheets feel the difference within the first week. The fulfillment tracking is strong, and the post-deal automation reduces manual handoffs.
The gaps are real for football clubs, particularly European ones. No partner portals — sponsors cannot self-serve. No dedicated hospitality module, limited AI features, no Data Clean Room. No free tier. No pricing before a sales call. The client base is overwhelmingly US, with no football-specific context built in.
Best for: US sports properties, universities, and events that need structured CRM and fulfillment tracking without enterprise complexity. Also relevant for organisations managing sponsorship on both the buying and selling sides. Skip if: The club needs hospitality management, partner portals, a European football context, or wants to see pricing before committing.
Portland Timbers (MLS), Sacramento Kings (NBA), Bath Rugby, Clemson Tigers, BYU Athletics, University of Kansas, Mohegan Sun, ECHL, CrossFit, Valero Alamo Bowl, Fanatics Events, FC Naples, and Washington Spirit, among others.
“We were running an $18 million sponsorship program out of an Excel tracker with three people — and who's to say if anything actually got done? Now we're looking at $70 million-plus with a team that's doubled in size.”
Drew Schiffer, Fanatics Events
EngageRM is built on Microsoft Dynamics 365. That's the whole value proposition. It adds sports-specific CRM layers on top of existing Microsoft infrastructure — covering ticketing, fan engagement, corporate partnerships, and marketing.
EngageRM describes itself as Microsoft's top partner in the sports and entertainment sector. It is not a dedicated sponsorship platform — it's a fan and ticketing platform with partnership modules integrated alongside.
For football clubs committed to the Microsoft ecosystem, the integration depth is real. For everyone else, the onboarding process and cost structure are significant barriers.
Custom enterprise pricing. Dynamics 365 base licences are required separately — roughly $8–$300+/user/month depending on tier. EngageRM costs are layered on top of that. The total cost of ownership runs in a similar or higher range to Salesforce. It's the most expensive path on this list.
For organisations with an IT team, an active Microsoft relationship, and a 6-month implementation runway, the integration depth is genuine. Dynamics 365 means data reaches finance, operations, and marketing — without middleware. The platform scales to NBA and AFL volumes without strain.
For most professional football clubs, this is the wrong fit. EngageRM requires a Dynamics 365 licence, an implementation partner, and typically several months before the system is live. It was not built as a sponsorship-first platform.
The confirmed client base is North America and Australia. In North America: Chicago Bears, Milwaukee Bucks, and LA Clippers. In Australia: Adelaide FC, Sydney Swans, Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon, and the Melbourne Cricket Ground. UK presence extends to one venue — Co-op Live in Manchester.
Best for: Major franchise organisations already committed to the Microsoft ecosystem — NFL clubs, NBA teams, AFL clubs — with IT infrastructure and budget to match. Skip if: The club isn't running on Dynamics 365, wants to be operational within weeks, or isn't working with a major-franchise budget.
Confirmed clients: Chicago Bears (NFL), Milwaukee Bucks (NBA), LA Clippers (NBA), and several AFL clubs including Adelaide FC, Sydney Swans, Collingwood, Carlton, and Essendon. The Melbourne Cricket Ground. UK presence via Co-op Live (Manchester arena). Primary deployment is North America and Australia.
The sponsorship management software market for football clubs breaks into three clear bands.
KORE Software (Two Circles) is the most established option for clubs with an enterprise budget. Its depth is real — for the organisations it was designed for. Most professional football clubs, particularly in Europe, are not in that category.
For US sports properties — college athletics, minor league clubs, mid-market venues — SponsorCX covers the core tracking and reporting workflow cleanly. Bath Rugby's adoption shows it extends to UK sport. For a European football club needing hospitality, partner portals, and football context, it's the wrong starting point.
For clubs already on Microsoft Dynamics 365 with an IT team and an implementation budget, EngageRM is a credible option. For everyone else, the cost and complexity don't stack up.
For football clubs that need a purpose-built platform — no enterprise price tag, no months-long setup — wehave fills that gap. CRM, rights tracking, automated reporting, partner portals, invoicing, and Coach Vic AI on every paid plan. Hospitality and Data Clean Room at Enterprise.
The real choice, at most clubs, is not between these platforms. It's between one of these platforms and the spreadsheet stack currently holding the commercial operation together. That stack — Excel, email chains, WhatsApp groups — works until it doesn't.
When it doesn't, the cause is usually the same. A renewal without evidence. A rights package unfulfilled. A contact who left and took the spreadsheet with them.
No credit card. No demo call. Up and running before the next matchday.
Try wehave for free →What's the difference between a generic CRM and sponsorship management software?
A generic CRM is built for sales pipelines — contacts, companies, deals. Sponsorship management software understands contracted rights, deliverable tracking, partner portals, hospitality coordination, and renewal workflows. A football club managing 40 sponsors with matchday hospitality packages needs the second category.
Do smaller football clubs really need dedicated software?
Yes — and sooner than most expect. A club with 20 sponsors, four hospitality tables, and a 17-game home season is already too complex for a spreadsheet. Rights fall through the cracks. Clubs of this size typically spend 30+ person-weeks per season on hospitality coordination alone.
How long does it take to set up sponsorship management software?
wehave is live in under an hour — no consultants, no implementation project, no credit card required for the free tier. SponsorCX typically takes weeks. KORE and EngageRM require months of implementation, often involving a dedicated deployment partner.
Is there free sponsorship management software?
wehave offers a genuine free tier — 10 partnerships, 1 partner portal, 1 user, no credit card required. Every other platform on this list requires a sales call before pricing is even visible.
What features should a football club prioritise?
Start with rights and deliverable tracking, partner portals, and automated reporting. Those three cover what was promised vs. delivered, sponsor visibility, and the renewal case. Add hospitality management if the club has matchday packages.
Why isn't Excel good enough for tracking sponsorships?
Excel works until it doesn't. At 20+ sponsors across multiple rights tiers, it breaks down. No audit trail, no automated reminders, no partner visibility, no matchday dashboard.
wehave gives commercial teams everything they need - CRM, live inventory, partner portals, hospitality, and AI - in one place.
Get wehave free →