Factors influencing sponsorships of women football clubs in Bangladesh

Abstract

Women’s club sponsorship in Bangladesh was examined as part of the broader development of women’s football and its commercial potential. The aim was to identify the main barriers to sponsorship, the key enablers that helped clubs to secure and retain sponsors and the types of evidence that sponsors expected from clubs. A qualitative research design was used. Data were collected through 18 semi-structured interviews with representatives of nine women’s clubs competing in the national league. Two interviewees per club were selected from roles such as team management, coaching and commercial or project coordination. Thematic analysis was carried out following Braun and Clarke’s procedure and the findings were interpreted with the help of the resource-based view and organisational legitimacy perspectives. Several interconnected barriers were identified. Sponsorship work was constrained by a short and unstable league calendar, limited commercial and analytical capabilities inside clubs, the perception of women’s teams as secondary or CSR projects and practical difficulties in delivering and renewing agreements. At the same time, important enablers were found. Long-term relationships and trust, strong club identities and performances, social-impact stories around women’s empowerment and community pride and visible governance and safeguarding practices supported sponsorship efforts. A clear evidence gap was observed between the detailed audience and digital metrics expected by many sponsors and the more basic results, participation figures and stories that clubs were able to provide. It was concluded that women’s clubs in Bangladesh operated in very different sponsorship realities but shared common structural and capability challenges. Sponsorship success was found to depend less on large audiences and more on bundles of intangible resources and simple yet reliable evidence practices. The results suggested that progress required improvements in league structures and central support, as well as realistic, step-by-step development of sponsorship, data and safeguarding practices at club level.