Rookie & The Vet: Selling Sponsorships as a Niche, Local Sport Artwork

The Inches: A Podcast About Sports Sponsorship

Welcome to The Inches, a podcast that looks at how digital is changing the sports sponsorship & marketing game. Each week we dive into the struggles and issues we face in the sports and event sponsorship space.Hosted by Nick Lawson & Rich Franklin.Nick is the co-founder of SQWAD, a digital sponsorship activation company that works with some of the biggest sports teams in the world to help them bring ROI & engagement to their in-stadium activations.Rich is the Sr. Director of corporate partnerships for the Oakview Group, Acrisure Arena, and AHL Coachella Valley Firebirds. He has over 30 years of sponsorship sales experience in the sports and radio broadcast industry.Jump in and take a listen as we navigate through some of the toughest and most challenging aspects of the sponsorship business!

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The Inches: A Podcast About Sports Sponsorship

Rookie & The Vet: Selling Sponsorships as a Niche, Local Sport

May 23, 2025 • Nick Lawson & Rich Franklin

What happens when your sport isn’t on ESPN… but still has a die-hard community?

Should you just stick with local sponsors? How can you unlock those bigger deals?

We had a great listener question come in this week on this very topic.

In this episode, we dive into the unique challenges and untapped advantages of selling sponsorships for niche and local sports.

From roller derby to motorcycle racing, we explore how smaller sports can punch above their weight by offering hyper-targeted audiences, authentic engagement, and grassroots loyalty that big leagues can't match.

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The Inches Podcast is a podcast that looks at sports & event sponsorship and how digital is affecting the industry and landscape. Hosted by Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD.