Nearly 5 million PLN in media value for IRONMAN Poland events

Triathlon events from the IRONMAN Poland series are not only about top-level sports and emotions. Last season, the events generated nearly 5 million PLN in advertising equivalent and enormous brand value for their partners.

The IRONMAN Poland 2024 series consisted of three events, held in Warsaw, Gdynia, and Poznań. Sport Evolution, the organizer and exclusive IRONMAN licensee in Poland and the Czech Republic, has been consistently measuring the media value of each event for many years. Independent reports are prepared on their behalf by PSMM Monitoring & More, a specialized research company currently part of the IMM Group.

According to the report, this year’s IRONMAN Poland events generated a total of nearly 3,300 media publications, with a combined reach of over 25 million, and a cumulative AVE value exceeding 4.75 million PLN.

Media exposure is not the only value for IRONMAN Poland partners. Based on data from media coverage analysis, as well as other advertising, communication efforts, and event exposure, PSMM Monitoring & More estimated the so-called brand value of collaboration for each event partner. A great example of this can be seen in the host cities, for which the following brand values were calculated:

Warsaw: 9.12 million PLN
Gdynia: 7.81 million PLN
Poznań: 6.32 million PLN

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Beyond the somewhat intangible brand value, host cities also benefit from real financial gains due to the influx of event participants and their families. Their spending on hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions, souvenirs, public transportation, and city parking amounts to millions of PLN – a real boost for local businesses and additional tax revenue for local governments.
Michał Drelich, IRONMAN Poland Director

The title sponsor of the event, such as Grupa Enea in Gdynia and Poznań, can expect similar results to those of the host city. The brand value for each of the other partners at a single event ranges between 0.5 and 2 million PLN. The current portfolio of commercial partners for IRONMAN Poland includes: Citi Handlowy, sportano.pl, Nice To Fit You, Grupa MTP, ALE, Pho3nix Foundation, Cisowianka, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, TRUE men skin care, Hama, Lech Free, Medical Sport, Hydrex, Shimano, and Movemore.pl.

Successful Debut in the Czech Republic

In August of this year, Sport Evolution also organized the first-ever IRONMAN 70.3 race in the Czech Republic. The event, held in Hradec Králové, attracted significant attention from Czech media, generating over 1,300 publications and 2.5 million PLN in advertising value. Combined with other benefits, this resulted in over 5 million PLN in brand value for the city of fewer than 100,000 residents. Event partners, including some Polish brands, could expect similar benefits as those seen at the races in Warsaw, Gdynia, and Poznań.

High Athlete Ratings

Alongside impressive media and brand value results, the satisfaction levels of IRONMAN Poland event participants are equally noteworthy. Athlete satisfaction is measured using a globally standardized satisfaction survey conducted shortly after each IRONMAN series race. Here, too, the IRONMAN Poland organizers have reason to be pleased. The overall satisfaction levels for this year’s events are as follows:

IRONMAN 70.3 Warsaw: 85.15%
Enea IRONMAN 70.3 Gdynia: 90.48%
Enea IRONMAN 70.3 Poznań: 90.72%

Comparing these results to the global average of IRONMAN events, and having detailed data on athlete satisfaction across several different aspects of participation, we can confidently say that Polish races are on par with the global IRONMAN standard, and in some cases, even exceed it. This is particularly gratifying, as we are talking about the organizational standards of the largest and most prestigious triathlon series in the world.
Piotr Jakóbik, Press Officer of IRONMAN Poland