Global consultancy firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), predicts that sports industry revenue will bounce back from the effects of the GFC in 2009 after the crisis was responsible for the first fall in global sports revenue since 2004 – dropping from US$ 116.4 billion to US$114.3 billion (down 1.8%).

Report author and PWC’s UK Head of Sport, Julie Clark said "The growth in the market slowed in 2009 simply because of the economy if we ignore the impact of major events like the Olympics.”

The global market is predicted by PwC to rise to $116 billion in 2010 and $120.7 billion in 2011, taking it past the pre-GFC level.

Whilst ticket and merchandise sales were down across the board in 2009, sponsorship also took a hit as companies “… tended to go for shorter deals and there were less sponsors from the financial sector as entertaining their clients in sporting events wasn't perceived as the right thing to do."

PwC found that of the four major segments of sports revenue – sponsorship, gate, media rights and merchandising - sponsorship is likely be the fastest growth area to 2013.

The PwC report provides a slightly more bullish forecast than DSEG’s prediction that although confidence is returning to the Australian sponsorship market, a full return to pre-GFC levels may take up to five years.