The 2025 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments brought buzzer-beating plays, record-breaking moments, and fierce competition—on the court and among sponsors. MarketCast’s long-running Sponsor Breakthrough study reveals the official tournament sponsors that drove the most brand impact with fans.
Women’s Tournament: Breakthrough Climbs for Women’s Sponsors
More brand sponsors in the Women’s tournament saw year-over-year gains in breakthrough and awareness, while those in the Men’s bracket mostly held steady or declined—underscoring the rising impact and brand-building potential of women’s sports.
Capital One took the top spot with 48% sponsor awareness among women’s fans. Coca-Cola took second place with 42%, a notable 7-point jump from last year, and AT&T tied for third with The Home Depot at 39%, up 3 points year over year.
Capital One also scored big with one of the Tournament’s top-performing ads, ranking second in Ad Breakthrough and first in Brand Linkage. Featuring Charles Barkley and hoops-inspired storylines, the spot ends with official NCAA branding that cemented its connection to the tournament
Men’s Tournament: Capital One and Buffalo Wild Wings Lead the Pack
Capital One also led all sponsors during the Men’s NCAA Tournament, with 56% of fans correctly identifying them as an official league sponsor. Buffalo Wild Wings followed closely behind with 49% awareness, while Coca-Cola rounded out the top three at 46%. Buffalo Wild Wings had a notably strong performance throughout the tournament, likely boosted by their contextually relevant, basketball-themed ads featuring NCAA logo IP, which reinforced their official partnership and deepened audience recall.
MarketCast’s Sponsor Breakthrough study is the longest-running sponsorship tracking program in North America, with over 17 years of data across leagues, including the NFL, NBA, NCAA Basketball, WNBA, and more. To learn more about our sports sponsorship research, contact us.