Our All-Star Roster in Indy 🌟

For fans, the Open is about Claret Jugs and iconic bunker saves. For Royal and Ancient (R&A), it’s their financial engine. It operates under R&A Group, and the scale of its operations is evident from the numbers below: 

The R&A, golf’s governing body outside the U.S., earns most of its yearly revenue from this single event: The Open Championship. 

Like Augusta National (the Masters), PGA of America (the PGA Championship), and the USGA (the U.S. Open), a big chunk of R&A’s revenue comes from selling the broadcasting rights of its flagship event:

This year alone, Sky Sports has dedicated around 80 hours throughout the week. The number of attendees keeps climbing each year. Last year, 258,174 fans attended the tournament at Troon, a small town of roughly 15,000 people. 

Tickets and hospitality

The Open Championship sells tickets for the entire week. A fan-first policy, yes. But also a way to generate revenue, as many fans choose to buy tickets on Sundays and Mondays, as it is less crowded and has more chances of getting an autograph from a player. 

Ticket prices go up as the week progresses. For adults over 24: 

If we assume around the same number of fans (278,000) attend this year’s event, and 50% of them are adults over 24, then that gives us over $12,500,000. If even 10% of attendees opt for premium hospitality packages, that alone could generate over $9M in additional revenue. As you can see, R&A earns north of $22,000,000 from ticketing alone. Then there are merchandise sales. 

The other stream of revenue: merchandise

At the Royal Portrush Pro Shop, basic caps and hats start from around  €29 ($38.88) per Sport for Business. Per the same report, R&A is expected to earn £63M ($84.46M) in direct merchandise sales. Add to that the online licensing for third-party online and offline stores.

To put it into context, USGA generally sells around 400,000 items during the U.S. Open week. We expect R&A to sell a similar amount of merchandise this week. One thing to remember here: The R&A operates as a nonprofit, reinvesting Open profits into amateur golf, rules, sustainability, and global development. In 2023, R&A invested: 

So yes, the Open is about tradition, drama, and golf’s finest. But it’s also a multimillion-dollar engine funding the sport’s global future, proving that heritage can bankroll progress.

In just 18 months, Indianapolis has hosted the NBA All-Star Game, the NCAA Final Four, and now the WNBA All-Star Weekend. It’s no accident — the city is positioning itself as the epicenter of modern basketball, with a special emphasis on women’s sports.

It is expected that the All-Star Weekend will pump $10M into the local economy. And it’s not just the city making moves — brands are lining up to associate with the All-Star spotlight.

Sponsorship power play:

Sponsors are activating around the weekend with on-site and experiential campaigns:

In addition, Michelob Ultra, Beats by Dre, Foot Locker, and other major brands have partnered with the WNBA All-Star Weekend. The reason? A unique opportunity to interact with fans and tell their stories.

She Got Game, EssentiallySports, and WNBA Players are reinventing storytelling

She Got Game, a dedicated WNBA brand of EssentiallySports, has unveiled, ‘It’s Her Moment’ campaign. Natasha Howard, Indiana Fever star and 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup MVP, will be EssentiallySports’ Special Athlete Correspondent during the All-Star Weekend. You can see the five primary modes of activation below:

But make no mistake, the campaign isn’t just passive content. Quite the contrary:

EssentiallySports and She Got Game are focusing on the market gap — behind-the-scenes access, fan stories, and lifestyle content — to offer a unique experience to WNBA All-Star attendees. For sponsors and leagues, this means a new layer of marketing value.

In short, All-Star isn’t just a game — it’s an ecosystem. And brands like EssentiallySports are shaping it. Want to see what athlete-powered content actually looks like? Tap into She Got Game’s All-Star coverage with Natasha Howard here.

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