The Value Xchange Quarterly Newsletter keeps you ahead of the game across Sports, Media and Entertainment, focusing on sponsorships, media rights and more.
What's new at TVX?
TVX Recognised on the Industry Stage
We kicked off 2026 with a big moment for the team.
At the European Sponsorship Association Awards, we were honoured to take home Best Sports Sponsorship (Small to Medium Scale) for our work with Deep Heat & Deep Freeze x HYROX 🏆
And the momentum didn’t stop there.
At the UK Sponsorship Awards, the same partnership picked up the Sports Sponsorship award. It was a competitive field with some standout work, which made the recognition even more meaningful.
For us, this partnership was about solving a real business challenge. Mentholatum - owners of Deep Heat, Deep Freeze and Deep Relief - came to us looking to reignite growth in a mature category, differentiate from both dominant competitors and own-label products, and crucially, connect with a younger, more active audience.
Through a data-led approach, we identified an untapped opportunity within the functional fitness community, and HYROX provided the perfect platform to embed the brand within that world in an authentic way.
From on-the-ground preparation and recovery zones at live events, to creator-led storytelling and targeted social amplification, the partnership focused on demonstrating the benefits of the products in real moments, getting them into the hands of athletes when they needed them most.
The results speak for themselves: over 100,000 athletes reached, 50,000+ product trials, double-digit sales growth across key lines, and a clear shift in brand perception.
As Elaine Walker, Senior Brand Manager at The Mentholatum Company, put it: “Our ambition was to bring Deep Heat and Deep Freeze into the world of modern sport and performance… Working with The Value Xchange, we built a partnership that went far beyond sponsorship, creating real experiences, real stories, and real relevance.”
It’s a great example of how the right strategy, clear audience insight and a well-matched property can come together - and one we’re hugely proud of at TVX. With the partnership now renewed, we’re excited to keep building and pushing it even further.
Industry Intel
Beyond the Black Box: Where AI Sponsorship Really Works
AI has become one of the defining industries of this decade, yet public perception still lags behind reality. In the UK, trust remains fragile, while the market itself has become crowded, with near-identical products competing for attention.
For many AI brands, the challenge is proving relevance, building confidence and standing out in a category where capability is hard to see and even harder to understand.
Our latest article explores how sport and entertainment sponsorship can play a critical role in solving this.
Unlike traditional marketing channels, partnerships offer a live environment where AI can demonstrate real-world value. Whether it’s supporting decision-making in high-pressure environments, improving fan experiences or enhancing operational efficiency, sponsorship allows AI to be seen, tested and judged in moments that matter.
Using audience data, we also highlight where this matters most. From premium live environments that bring brands closer to enterprise buyers, to culturally relevant platforms where younger audiences engage more openly with technology.
The key learning isn’t simply to invest in sponsorship, but to use it more precisely. The real opportunity for growth sits in choosing the right environments, solving specific problems, and using partnerships to show how AI behaves in the moments people care about.
Read the full article on our website to learn where sponsorship could have the biggest impact.
Partnership Spotlight
Specsavers x parkrun
One partnership that caught our attention this quarter is Specsavers teaming up with parkrun - a simple idea, but one with real substance behind it.
At its core, this built around a shared ambition: making health and wellbeing more accessible to more people. Emphasis has been placed on inclusion as the partnership looks to engage those who are currently underrepresented in physical activity.
What we like is the starting point. Instead of jumping straight into activation, the partnership begins with understanding. A series of “listen and learn” sessions will explore the barriers that stop people from taking part - whether that’s visual or hearing impairments, or wider challenges like social isolation. From there, the intention is to evolve the parkrun experience in a way that genuinely opens it up to more communities.
There’s also a strong role for Specsavers’ national footprint. With over 1,000 stores across the UK, the brand has the ability to connect local communities with their nearest events, helping to turn awareness into participation at a grassroots level.
It’s a great example of a brand using sponsorship to play a meaningful role within an existing community. By aligning closely with parkrun’s ethos and focusing on removing barriers to entry, the partnership feels credible and purposeful.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on how it develops, particularly how insight-led changes translate into increased participation over time.
Open for Partnership
Access Sport
Too many young people are inactive, denied access to sport because of disability, gender, ethnic background or poverty. Access Sport is the fastest growing national sport inclusion charity, working to ensure excluded young people can experience the life-changing impact of sport that every young person deserves.
Access Sport’s work wouldn’t be possible without corporate and commercial partnerships. All partnerships are fully bespoke – from sponsorship opportunities, to cause-related marketing initiatives and joint campaigns, charitable donations and employee engagement offers – always co-created to meet your objectives.
Access Sport are already working with many industry-leading organisations, such as Nuffield Health, the FA and Workday, delivering tangible impact that aligns with organisation’s brand values and ESG goals.
A partnership with Access Sport can:
- Help you to reach and build strong relationships with tens of thousands of young people, their families and hundreds of community sport clubs
- Enhance brand profile, reputation and loyalty via activation around health and wellbeing, inclusion and sport
- Provide insight into the needs and wants of children and young people and community sports clubs
- Offer impactful business development and client engagement opportunities
- Drive employee engagement, supporting talent retention and acquisition
- Allow you to meet your ESG / social impact goals.
Keen to find out more and discuss partnership opportunities? Get in touch.
Learn more about their vital work via this short film.
