Few partnerships in Irish sport have evolved as quickly or as meaningfully as Sky Ireland’s backing of the national football teams. What began as a focused effort to build brand affinity and support a team on the rise has grown into a wider platform rooted in culture, connection and a shared sense of belief.
At the heart of it has been a willingness to go beyond traditional sponsorship — to invest in visibility, storytelling and long-term impact. From helping elevate the Women’s National Team at a time of limited awareness, to expanding into a unified approach across both senior international sides, the journey has mirrored the changing landscape of Irish football itself.
In this Sport for Business interview feature, Caroline Donnellan of Sky Ireland and Jill Downey and Rob Murray of Core reflect on how the partnership came to life, how the creative platform of belief took shape, and how a combination of insight, timing and ambition helped turn it into one of the most resonant campaigns in Irish sport.
Rob Hartnett, Sport for Business: What were the origins of the original partnership?
Caroline Donnellan, Director of Marketing and Brand, Sky Ireland
Sky has been in Ireland for over 30 years and at the time we were looking for a sponsorship that would build a deeper affinity and connection of the Sky brand in Ireland with Irish consumers. We were also looking to connect with a younger audience and more female audience.
At the same time, Sky believes in using its voice to make a positive difference in the communities we operate in. So we were looking for something that could do both; build real affinity and create meaningful impact.
The Women’s National Team started to emerge as a strong fit. A team with huge potential but limited support, and a small but growing fanbase that mirrored our target audience of young families.
It became apparent quite quickly that this could be more than just a sponsorship. It was a chance to help drive something meaningful in Irish sport, while connecting Sky to the nation in a much deeper way.
The partnership began in 2021 when Sky became the first-ever stand-alone sponsor of the Irish Women’s National Football Team.
At the time, the team was starting to perform strongly but had very low public awareness where fewer than a quarter of Irish people could name a single player. Sky saw an opportunity not just to sponsor the team, but to give these exceptional players the platform they deserved.
RH, SFB: What was the creative ‘moment’ that underpinned the theme of belief?
Rob Murray, Creative Partner, Core
Sky’s well-known mantra is Believe in Better but we needed a deeper more culturally relevant insight to inspire creative activation, so in truth it really came from the players themselves.
We heard first-hand about the belief they had in their ability to succeed, despite the odds and despite all the barriers they had to overcome. And from the very beginning, we made a decision to put the players first. We wanted to give them every possible advantage, every extra inch to help them get there. But there was also the cultural truth.
As a nation, when we achieve beyond our means we revel in it. Competing on a world stage is our cultural happy place. Every Irish sporting success is not just down to outplaying the opposition but outbelieving them when it matters most. This is how the platform of OUTBELIEVE came to life and subsequently the WNT’s first ever dedicated TV ad.
OUTBELIEVE was an attitude that defines the Irish sporting spirit; and was a rallying call to the entire nation to believe in this team and support them to reach unprecedented heights.
The fans responded and the team responded, showing that Belief is reciprocal, it really travels both ways. Overtime the theme evolved especially when Sky expanded the sponsorship to both the men’s and women’s national team, but Belief remains the secret sauce.
As the partnership evolved, that idea grew into “Bound By Belief” — something bigger that connected players and fans through a shared sense of belief and support of our national teams.
RH, SFB: How important was securing qualification for the World Cup in Australia?
Jill Downey, Chief Sponsorship Officer, Core
It was transformational.
But when Sky first got involved, it was very much a dream scenario and not an expectation. The entire strategy of OUTBELIEVE was designed with performance growth in mind. I’m not sure anyone truly expected them to Outbelieve so quickly.
In the evolution of the sponsorship, it was a defining moment.
World Cups are Ireland’s cultural happy place, and we hadn’t been at one for either team in 20 years. Helping the team get to their first ever Women’s World Cup is something that still gives us all enormous pride and gave the whole country something to rally behind.
But more than that, it validated the whole strategy. This wasn’t just a brand attaching itself to a successful team, it was a partnership that had genuinely helped build belief, momentum and national support before the success.
The 2023 World Cup qualification created the single biggest cultural moment in the sponsorship’s journey at that time and unlocked the full potential of the platform.
And the World Cup TV ad Sky created that year, combined with a fully engaged activation plan, drove the largest step-change in sponsorship awareness (+32% increase) and saw the teams fandom grow to unimagined new heights.
RH, SFB: When did the conversation start around expanding to the men’s team?
Caroline Donnellan, Director of Marketing and Brand, Sky Ireland
That really came about because of a variety of factors.
Firstly, following the success of OUTBELIEVE and the World Cup, heading into 2024 we looked at how to build on and scale it. We had proven the business case for sponsorship, but what was next?
At the same time, Sky had a major commercial moment coming with the launch of Sky Mobile. Competing in the mobile category was a new frontier, and sponsorships were already the key battleground for mobile brands.
The research showed that while the men’s team had huge reach and the scale we needed, there was a disconnect with fans. It turned out that no team needed an injection of Belief more than the MNT at that time. Plus, we felt that just as the women’s team did, our national men’s team deserved to have a great sponsor.
So bringing both teams together under one platform was a natural next step, it gave us scale, relevance, and a unifying story. But while OUTBELIEVE was developed specifically for the WNT, we had to create a new platform that worked equally well for both. Equality would be a defining issue for us. Both teams had to be supported equally.
The main creative leap was recognising that belief wasn’t just a player insight, it was a national behaviour. Irish fans continue to support their teams regardless of results, driven by a deep sense of identity and loyalty.
This led to the evolution into Bound by Belief in 2024, extending the same core idea across both teams.
RH, SFB: What were the measures of success that meant the most?
Jill Downey, Chief Sponsorship Officer, Core
Success was never just about visibility, it was about adding value for the players and the fans, but naturally it had to work for Sky as well.
Of course, we tracked awareness, brand affinity and consideration, and saw strong uplifts in all measures. And the clearest proof of that was consistently seeing that people who were aware of the sponsorship were more likely to like Sky and choose Sky.
We also track fandom, both in total size, and depth of passion. We were genuinely making a difference for the WNT and we could see the growing fanbase in line with our activity. This was increasing goodwill towards our brand and turning passive interest into active support.
An important measure was prompted sponsorship awareness — because the primary challenge was making the sponsorship famous.
This was tracked over time and became the clearest indicator of success, growing from: 26% post sponsorship announcement to 64% now, according to the National Sponsorship Index (NSI).
We really set the sponsorship up for success from the beginning, but we also placed a major emphasis on having strong and clear empirical evidence that it was working for the brand – our research is a critical component of our plan.
RH, SFB: What was the timetable like for creating the latest ads for Sky Football and Mobile?
Rob Murray, Creative Partner, Core
They actually came together in quite different ways.
The sponsorship film was something we’d been thinking about for a while. Since the early days of the partnership, we’ve wanted to show what belief really does to players in a human way. Football at this level can feel very distant, but we know from our work on this sponsorship that the truth is, the players feel everything we feel.
When the run of qualification games landed in February and March, and the country really started to believe again, it felt like the right moment to show the players. The idea was simple. Take the nation’s belief and make it tangible for them, so we put it directly onto the players’ jerseys so they can literally carry it with them.
That one had a bit more time to breathe. It grew out of the platform and the sponsorship.
The Sky Mobile ad was much quicker. It came from spotting a moment we couldn’t ignore.
We had a few things aligning at once. Sky firmly part of football culture through the sponsorship, and the “Expect More” platform already established for mobile. Then there’s Roy, who’s such a big personality in Irish football and already at the heart of the Sky Mobile work.
We’d never really brought those worlds together before, and this felt like the perfect reason to. So we moved fast, leaned into the energy around the match, kept the tone light, and made something that adds to the enjoyment of the moment.
Two very different timelines, but both driven by the same instinct. To be part of what people are feeling right now, and make it count.
@skyireland Latte for… Troy?! Must be a sign! ☕️🏆 🇮🇪 Expect More with Sky Mobile. #COYBIG ♬ original sound – SkyIreland
RH, SFB: Are there parallel plans and budgets for whether we qualify or not?
Caroline Donnellan, Director of Marketing and Brand, Sky Ireland
Yes and that flexibility is essential. This is a very special year, it’s the only year in a generation where both our MNT and WNT could qualify for their respective World Cups in the same year, although the Women’s tournament will be played in 2027. We are dreaming of a positive outcome for both teams – equally!
Our platform is designed to work regardless of results. Belief can be just as powerful in the presence of doubt, so whether the teams are winning or facing setbacks, the story can and should evolve while staying true to the core idea.
Should we qualify, we will of course be looking to support the team in the manner that the primary partner should, so fingers crossed we are making our first Men’s World Cup ad, and gearing up for our second Women’s World Cup ad.
RH, SFB: How much of a buzz has there been across Core as a result of the partnership?
Jill Downey, Chief Sponsorship Officer, Core
There’s been huge energy around it.
It is work that really represents what we’re about; insight-led, collaborative, and delivering both cultural and proven commercial impact.
It’s rare to have something that drives business results, builds brand love, and makes a genuine difference in people’s lives, and we are all personally invested both professionally and as fans, which makes it extra special.
From OUTBELIEVE to Bound by Belief, the platform has shown an ability to adapt and scale, while staying true to its central idea: that belief, shared between players and supporters, can be a powerful force. It has helped grow audiences, deepen engagement and, crucially, contribute to the momentum behind Irish football at a pivotal time.
With the possibility of both national teams reaching major tournaments on the horizon, the next chapter is still being written. But regardless of results, the foundations are firmly in place — a partnership that has connected brand, team and country in a way that feels both purposeful and enduring.
Image credit: Sport for Business
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