Wave four of the European Sponsorship Association’s 'sentiment tracker,' conducted throughout August, has found that overall confidence amongst sponsorship industry professional has fallen slightly, but right holders are feeling more confident than ever.

The tracker survey has been held monthly since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, surveying more than 150 senior industry leaders to understand the health and confidence of leading sponsorship organisations.

ESA chairman Andy Westlake finds the latest findings encouraging for the sport and entertainment industry going forward. “The fact that rights holders are more confident than at any other point since lockdown demonstrates that many of our members have continued to innovate in challenging circumstances and will emerge from this year in better shape. Necessity has certainly been the mother of invention,” he says.

For agencies, on the other hand, the picture is less promising, with a positivity levels seeing a more significant, drop from 6.3 down to 5.7. However, despite the drop, more than a third are predicting a rise in new business next year.

The survey has also found a divergence between right holders in regards to the economic impact of the ongoing pandemic, with 53% forecasting a decrease in income for 2021, 33% expecting it to stay steady and 14% predicting an increase.