The collaboration with Sport Network marks an evolution for the ChainOn.it marketplace, introducing a new online structure for managing and maximizing the value of sponsorships across multiple events or clubs linked to a single entity.

Sport Network and ChainOn have formed a partnership to digitize and expand access to sponsorship opportunities for the Group’s flagship events: Golden Boy, the Italian Padel Awards, Caschi d’Oro, and Rom-E (an event dedicated to sustainability). Sport Network is one of the country’s leading specialized sales agencies; beyond advertising sales for *Corriere dello Sport* and *Tuttosport*, it represents a significant digital ecosystem and a major network of both sports and non-sports events.

The partnership aims to maximize the value of sponsorship opportunities for Sport Network’s events by providing companies—including micro-enterprises, SMEs, and freelancers—with an innovative tool for simple, fast, and secure access to high-value communication opportunities.

This collaboration has led ChainOn to evolve the opportunities offered by its marketplace, enabling a single organizer (in this case, Sport Network) to manage and market sponsorship proposals for a range of independent events. This evolution allows companies to access the organizer’s offerings through a single digital touchpoint, analyzing the breadth and structure of sponsorship options across various events, thereby increasing opportunities to match supply and demand.

Through the ChainOn.it marketplace—powered by blockchain and artificial intelligence—companies can view available opportunities in real time, connect directly with the Sport Network team, and manage every stage of the sponsorship process more efficiently (from information requests and negotiation to contract signing), all while reducing timeframes and operational complexity.

Sponsorship opportunities available for purchase on ChainOn will include:

– Golden Boy, the international award crowning Europe’s best Under-21 footballer and now one of world football’s most prestigious accolades;
– Italian Padel Awards (September 6, 2026), an event celebrating the key figures of the sport that has seen the fastest growth in recent years, bringing together athletes, companies, and stakeholders from across the entire sector;
– Caschi d’Oro Motosprint, the historic award dedicated to excellence in motorcycling, serving as a benchmark for the industry for over fifty years;
– Caschi d’Oro Autosprint, the award celebrating the stars of motor racing and excellence in the world of four-wheeled motorsport;
– Rom-E (October 2–4, 2026), a festival at the heart of sustainability and mobility innovation, serving as a key event dedicated to electric mobility, new technologies, and the ecological transition.

For all these events, sponsorship packages are available for free consultation on ChainOn (subject to registration for the relevant profiles). These packages are designed to offer a blend of visibility, activation, and experiential opportunities, enabling investing brands to strengthen their market positioning, build valuable relationships with clients and stakeholders, and associate their names with some of the most prestigious national and international sporting events. Opportunities include branding initiatives and exclusive experiences backed by a major media ecosystem; sponsors benefit from visibility across the events’ digital channels—generating a combined total of over 20 million monthly views—as well as television coverage and exposure in leading media outlets.

With ChainOn, becoming a sponsor for Sport Network events is simple and involves no buyer-side commissions. After a free registration, interested companies can explore available opportunities online or with customer support assistance, and finalize agreements either fully digitally or with the help of the sales team, identifying the solution best suited to their communication and marketing goals.

STATEMENTS

“We are particularly proud to launch this collaboration with a major sales agency like Sport Network. It has enabled us to further enhance the ChainOn.it marketplace features for organizers and managers of various events and clubs, offering a more effective and scalable approach to selling sponsorships. This evolution is the first step in a roadmap that will introduce new features in the coming months, designed to make the sponsorship buying and selling process increasingly simple, transparent, and scalable for companies and organizers of all sizes,” says Giovanni Palazzi, Co-founder and CEO of ChainOn.

“We are delighted to launch this partnership with ChainOn, which represents a significant opportunity to make sponsorships for our events more accessible, transparent, and efficient for companies. This collaboration allows us to digitize the process of matching supply and demand, simplifying access to our events and expanding our pool of potential partners. We are confident that this initiative will help create new business opportunities for companies and further strengthen the value of our brands and the events we organize,” says Valerio Gaviglia, Commercial General Manager at Sport Network.

Growth is stronger among mid-sized and smaller clubs, with Cagliari and Parma standing out

The Sponsor Value research, conducted by StageUp in partnership with Ipsos Doxa, once again provides an annual snapshot of football fandom in Italy, a pillar of Italian identity involving 68.5% of the Italian population and 87.2% of those interested in Serie A.

Fans of Serie A football clubs in the 2025/26 season numbered 25.6 million in Italy, a figure that remained essentially stable compared with the 2024/25 season, increasing by 0.32%.

The figure comes from the Sponsor Value survey conducted by StageUp in partnership with Ipsos Doxa, now in its 26th year. The findings confirm that interest in Serie A translates into a strong sense of symbolic belonging, a cultural characteristic that makes club football fandom a genuine pillar of Italian identity.

The phenomenon continues to be driven primarily by the emotional connection passed down through families and local communities rather than by sporting or managerial success. However, the latter is becoming increasingly important in a sporting world that is ever more globalised, virtual, fast-moving and dominated by increasingly fluid forms of fandom.

WHO ARE THE FANS?

The football fan base continues to be remarkably diverse. Men account for 55% and women for 45%, confirming that passion for football is becoming increasingly balanced and inclusive, gradually breaking down traditional gender boundaries.

The average age is relatively mature, with the 35–54 age group accounting for 47% of fans. At the same time, under-24s represent a solid 16% of the total.

Geographically, the distribution broadly reflects the Italian population. Southern Italy and the Islands lead with 39% of fans, followed by the North-West with 26%.

In southern regions, supporting a favourite club remains a powerful expression of identity, belonging and social aspiration.

From an economic perspective, football fandom is predominantly a middle-class phenomenon: 59% of supporters belong to the middle-income segment, confirming that football remains one of the few major social forces capable of bringing together people from different income groups and backgrounds under the same colours.

TOP 5: JUVENTUS STILL FIRST, INTER LEADS IN MILAN

The Top 5 most supported teams remains unchanged.

Juventus retains first place with 7,741,000 fans, despite a declining trend for the second consecutive year, down 1.6% compared with 2024/25. The decline can be attributed both to sporting results and to a club identity that has become increasingly disconnected from the expectations of its supporters.

In second place is Inter, the Italian champions, with 4,275,000 fans, up 2.3% compared with 2025.

Two league titles in the last three seasons, the 2026 Coppa Italia triumph, and strong performances in European competitions have enabled the Nerazzurri to remain ahead of their city rivals for the fourth consecutive year.

Milan follows in third place with 3,976,000 fans, recording a stronger 4.2% increase in a season that saw improved performances on the pitch, despite missing out on Champions League qualification on the final matchday.

Completing the Top 5 is Napoli, with 3,079,000 fans, up for the second consecutive year (+1.4%), followed by Roma, with 1,790,000.

Fiorentina ranks sixth with 655,000 supporters, down 6.6% after a difficult season that fell short of initial expectations. It was one of the most challenging campaigns in the club’s recent history and was also marked by protests from supporters.

MID-SIZED CLUBS RECORD THE STRONGEST GROWTH

The research once again highlights a trend in which the largest percentage increases in fan bases are being recorded by mid-sized and smaller clubs.

Cagliari, with 642,000 fans, overtakes Lazio and records the strongest growth of any club, increasing by 10.1% compared with 2024/25.

Above the overall average, growth was also recorded by Parma, now at 139,000 fans (+9.5%), Lecce with 355,000 (+4.1%), Udinese with 198,000 (+3.1%), and Como with 138,000 (+2.2%).

What is driving this growth?

First of all, there is the statistical phenomenon known as the “base effect”, according to which percentage increases are easier to achieve when starting from a smaller absolute fan base.

Beyond this, however, the figures reveal three broader sociological drivers that go beyond individual cases.

Cagliari is benefiting from the powerful David-versus-Goliath narrative: by defeating a more prestigious opponent, the team creates a story of redemption that extends beyond its traditional geographical boundaries and attracts support from fans elsewhere.

Como is also capitalising on results that have exceeded expectations, but at the same time on a broader model focused on social engagement, aesthetics and global ambitions.

Parma, Lecce and Udinese demonstrate how sporting and managerial planning can represent the most universal and sustainable driver of growth. Consistency in objectives and actions over time can transform initial sympathy into a lasting sense of identity and belonging.

STATEMENT

“The size of a club’s fan base is not merely a matter of image; it translates directly into an increase in the value of individual clubs,” comments StageUp President Giovanni Palazzi.

“A larger number of supporters means greater bargaining power in negotiations with sponsors, greater appeal to potential investors in the sports company, and an increase in revenues generated by merchandising, season tickets and digital content.

“As also highlighted by our Football Sponsor 360 service (www.footballsponsor360.com), which is designed to assess, negotiate and plan sponsorships in Serie A, the Italian market could generate more than €60 million in additional revenues through better exploitation of the relationship between club brands and sponsors.

“That would represent a 10% increase in sponsorship revenues for the top division, a significant amount for the sustainability of the football system — and, unfortunately, one that Serie A is currently leaving on the table.”

ChainOn is renewing itself to offer users an even simpler, more intuitive and effective experience. Thanks to significant technological developments, the platform has been upgraded with new features, optimized navigation and improved performance, speed and reliability.

An even simpler access experience for members

To access the new version of the platform, users will only need to complete a quick password update. The process is simple: click on the dedicated password reset link, enter your e-mail address and follow the instructions received to complete the access procedure.

The main platform updates

The key improvements introduced include:

• A simpler and guided offer submission process, with a step-by-step journey that supports users from the very beginning;
• Optimized navigation for buyers, who can now identify sponsorship opportunities that best match their needs more easily;
• A more immediate registration process, allowing existing users to start publishing their offers without having to complete their profile right away. Registration will only be required to finalize an agreement, ensuring accuracy and validity throughout the process.

The contracting phase has also been streamlined thanks to the guarantees provided by blockchain and artificial intelligence: agreements between vendors and buyers are transformed into a letter of intent that anticipates the formal contract, making the process faster, more transparent and more reliable.

ChainOn Exclusive: new opportunities for vendors

With ChainOn Exclusive, the annual subscription service dedicated to vendors, users can access additional opportunities to find sponsorships and expand their business prospects.

To discover all available solutions, users can schedule a meeting with the ChainOn Commercial Team, which will guide each organization in identifying the most suitable option.

Among the organizations that have already chosen ChainOn Exclusive are leading national and international sports entities, including Gresini Racing and Honda LCR in MotoGP, Virtus Bologna in Serie A basketball, Lube Volley in men’s volleyball and Imoco Volley in women’s volleyball.

With this update, ChainOn further strengthens its commitment to making the sponsorship market increasingly digital, efficient and connected.