19 years of Movistar: what Enric Mas' Vuelta win shows about sports sponsorship

Enric Mas wins the Vuelta a España. On paper, it is a sporting victory. But look beyond the result, and there is a much more interesting commercial story.

The face of the team was gone

In 2020, El día menos pensado, the Netflix series about Movistar Team, brought viewers behind the scenes of the team. At the centre of that story was Alejandro Valverde. For years, he was the face of Movistar Team. Then, in 2022, Valverde retired. The face of the team was gone, and a new generation had to carry the story forward. But success did not come immediately. The big victory remained elusive.

Until last Sunday

Yes, Tadej Pogačar's withdrawal changed the race. But that does not take away from what came next. Enric Mas had to take responsibility, lead his team and finish the job. And he did.

Then look at Granada, the setting for last Sunday's final stage. A Spanish winner. A Spanish crowd. Thousands of people celebrating an emotional moment. And in that moment, the Movistar brand is right there. Not as a logo in the background, but as part of the story. That is where sports sponsorship becomes interesting.

19 seasons, almost two decades

Telefónica, the parent company of Movistar (Telefónica Hispam), has been connected to the team since 2011 and has extended the partnership through 2029. Recent reports estimate the partnership at around €25 million per year. 19 seasons. Almost two decades of investing in the same sports platform.

Consistency and commitment can create something that money alone cannot buy: meaning and emotion.

Far more than just visibility

Movistar has built far more than visibility around the team. Through Telefónica Tech, the partnership is also used as a technology platform, with IoT, Big Data and AI applied to performance and training. The platform extends beyond the men's team, with a women's team, a development team, and activities around esports and sustainability.

One partnership. Multiple audiences. Multiple ways to create value: not just exposure, but also brand association, storytelling, fan engagement, hospitality & B2B, technology and commercial activation.

The question that really matters

That is why I believe the key question in sports sponsorship is no longer: "How much exposure does this sponsorship generate?" It is: "What value do we create together, and can we prove it?"

Don't just sell exposure. Build partnerships where sport and its emotion, brand, innovation, content and commerce reinforce each other.