Off-season, it's a time to regroup, reflect, and take a bit of a break. Right?

Yes, absolutely...but there is also an opportunity to drive more engagement, connection, and revenue for your partners.

In this episode of the Inches, we dive into 4 ideas that you can easily execute to help drive more connection and revenue for your sponsors in the off-season.

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The Inches Podcast is a podcast that looks at sports & event sponsorship and how digital is affecting the industry and landscape. Hosted by Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD.

We all know the common categories in sponsorships: QSR, dealerships, tires, etc.

But what about that next step up, luxury brands? How can we close those...or even get them to care about our team and sponsorship assets?

In this episode, we dive into the strategy your team can execute to find, pitch, and close luxury brands. You'll even find some luxury categories you never knew about.

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The Inches Podcast is a podcast that looks at sports & event sponsorship and how digital is affecting the industry and landscape. Hosted by Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD.

Trends come and go. But when enough major brands start pulling back on the volume of assets in their sponsorship deals, it’s worth paying attention.

In this episode, we explore a critical shift in sponsor behavior: a move away from bloated asset lists toward lean, high-performing campaigns. Brands aren’t looking for more inventory—they’re looking for impact. And that requires a different mindset from sellers.

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The Inches Podcast is a podcast that looks at sports & event sponsorship and how digital is affecting the industry and landscape. Hosted by Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD.

We're back at it, diving into the thing shaping our industry. Artificial Intelligence.

This time, how are our sponsors and brands using it to measure and evaluate your execution and results?

In this episode, we dive into what we're seeing in the industry from a brand perspective and what it means for your property.

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The Inches Podcast is a podcast that looks at sports & event sponsorship and how digital is affecting the industry and landscape. Hosted by Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD.

We've all done it (hopefully). You take a job in a market where you aren't the biggest fish in the pond...or even the 4th biggest.

But we still have a property that brings value. So, how do we convince brands when there are bigger entities they can invest in?

This week, we dive into a listener question about selling sponsorships in a crowded market and how creativity can take you over the top.

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The Inches Podcast is a podcast that looks at sports & event sponsorship and how digital is affecting the industry and landscape. Hosted by Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD.

AI is transforming every industry—and sponsorship is no exception.

In this episode, we unpack how artificial intelligence is reshaping the future of sponsorships. From smarter audience targeting to predictive analytics and real-time campaign optimization, we explore the real ways AI will impact how brands build partnerships, prove ROI, and connect with fans.

If you work in sponsorship or brand partnerships, this is the episode you don’t want to miss.

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The Inches Podcast is a podcast that looks at sports & event sponsorship and how digital is affecting the industry and landscape. Hosted by Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD.

At the start of each year, Rich and Nick share their bold predictions for the trends shaping the sponsorship industry. 

Now that we're halfway through the year, it's time to check in—what’s holding strong, what missed the mark, and what surprised us?

In this episode, we revisit our January picks, break down what’s actually happening in the field, and share what to watch next as the sponsorship landscape continues to evolve.

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The Inches Podcast is a podcast that looks at sports & event sponsorship and how digital is affecting the industry and landscape. Hosted by Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD.

What happens when your sport isn’t on ESPN… but still has a die-hard community?

Should you just stick with local sponsors? How can you unlock those bigger deals?

We had a great listener question come in this week on this very topic.

In this episode, we dive into the unique challenges and untapped advantages of selling sponsorships for niche and local sports. 

From roller derby to motorcycle racing, we explore how smaller sports can punch above their weight by offering hyper-targeted audiences, authentic engagement, and grassroots loyalty that big leagues can't match.

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The Inches Podcast is a podcast that looks at sports & event sponsorship and how digital is affecting the industry and landscape. Hosted by Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD.

When Rich & Nick started the Inches, it came from chats on sponsorships in Rich's office below Memorial Coliseum in Portland, OR.

We would dive into all topics, sponsorships, and sports business with no agenda.

Well, this week on The Inches, we decided to take it back to where we started...with no topic.

We dive into topics ranging from youth sports investments, the growth of the women's leagues and what this means for sponsorships, and round it out with how the MLS will deal with going to a European schedule.

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The Inches Podcast is a podcast that looks at sports & event sponsorship and how digital is affecting the industry and landscape. Hosted by Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD.

If you work in sponsorships, it will happen. A brand doesn't want to sponsor your team directly...so they creatively try and reach your fans without the partnership.

How do you prevent this from happening? 

How can you stop a brand from hijacking the most valuable asset you have as a sponsorship department...your ability to deeply connect with fans?

In this episode, we dive into how to identify, manage, and work through sponsorship infiltration.

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The Inches Podcast is a podcast that looks at sports & event sponsorship and how digital is affecting the industry and landscape. Hosted by Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD.