Guernseys and Gather Round: KFC the Most Valuable Guernsey Partner in AFL's Footy Festival

- By Max Wright

In April 2025, the AFL and all 18 clubs returned to South Australia for the third iteration of Gather Round, an event that features nine fixtures across three grounds in four days for a festival of footy. It is the highlight of the season for many AFL fans, reflected in data from YouGov SportsIndex which showed in the week leading up to the event there was the highest Buzz around the AFL amongst fans in the last 12 months, outside of the Finals series.

This heightened interest in the league gives brands ample opportunity to establish themselves with a sizable portion of the AFL fan base, with 6.5M cumulative Live TV viewers, as well as the 270K fans who attended the games live.

To see how effectively this opportunity was taken, YouGov Sport conducted a detailed exposure analysis of all 18 clubs and their guernsey sponsors to ascertain the live on-screen exposure and Net Sponsorship Value (NSV) achieved by each brand on Broadcast TV over the weekend.

Furthermore, YouGov Sport’s new NSV-X methodology was then applied, calculating the intangible value attributed to each brand through positive sport fan association and adding it to the value achieved purely through on-screen exposure - showcasing how a positive Brand Health score can further boost the overall value of a sponsorship.

In total, Player Guernsey assets accumulated 12 and a half hours of Live TV Exposure, which translated to $12.2M in Net Sponsorship Value. The Back of Guernsey asset, on the lower back, was the asset that drove the highest overall value, although these partnerships only generated $10K more per club than the primary Front of Guernsey position.

The marquee venue for Gather Round is the Adelaide Oval, but the eight clubs who played at either Barossa Park or Norwood Oval – the smaller grounds utilized for the weekend – were able to generate more exposure for their Guernsey partners on average than the 10 teams who played at Adelaide Oval.

At the smaller grounds, clubs averaged 49 minutes of cumulative screen time across all Guernsey locations (Front, Sternum, Back and Nape), whereas Adelaide Oval broadcasts produced 36 minutes per club. With infrastructure at these grounds not allowing for as much of a comprehensive camera setup as the Adelaide Oval, broadcasters tend to focus more directly on players than the wider field.

But while TV coverage across boutique venues afforded higher time on screen for guernsey sponsors, it was the marquee matchups played at Adelaide Oval that proved more lucrative for brands, owing to Free-To-Air broadcast distribution and higher Live TV Audiences - making every second of exposure more valuable.

Local side Port Adelaide generated 43 minutes and $1.4 million in Net Sponsorship Value for their Guernsey sponsors, which was the highest value across the 18 teams, despite the lack of a Nape sponsor. This was driven by a large audience across Free-to-Air TV in their Sunday evening slot – which saw the Hawks return to Adelaide Oval after last year’s controversial send off in the Finals by Port coach Ken Hinkley.

One of Port’s partners, KFC, topped all brands for cumulative exposure over Gather Round with over 48 minutes in total, appearing on four different club guernseys – the Back of Collingwood and Port Adelaide’s kit, and Hawthorn and Richmond’s Nape position. The Brisbane Lions and Youi accrued the most screen-time of any individual partnership, with 31 minutes of exposure as the brand features on both the front and back of the Guernsey– one of six brands that occupy multiple locations on a team’s kit.

In terms of NSV-X, Port Adelaide’s KFC partnership saw the strongest boost in raw value, seeing a $79K increase thanks to KFC’s positive standing amongst Sports Fans. Meanwhile, the most significant percentage boost was for Toyota in their partnership with the Adelaide Crows, with their perception amongst fans leading to a 21% enhancement of their initial Net Sponsorship Value.

While only brands that feature in YouGov’s syndicated research tools can benefit from the NSV-X methodology, it offers an insightful indication of how much more valuable partnerships can be when fans see brands in a positive light.

For more information about SportsIndex, NSV-X and YouGov’s media exposure monitoring capabilities contact Will Serocold, YouGov Sport Commercial Manager.