In the third season of the Baller League, SPORTFIVE once again took charge of XING’s sponsorship activation – with a fully integrated 360° approach. The result: XING’s brand promise came to life through bold storytelling, strong creator collaborations, a fashion partnership with GRAMPS, and community-driven formats – making XING a true part of Baller League culture.
In this Success Story:
The Challenge
How do you bring a career network credibly into the world of small-field football? XING wanted more than just visibility – it aimed to spark real conversations and establish the brand as part of the community. The challenge: XING’s values – professional development and networking – needed to be tangible and relevant for a young, creative audience.
XING’s goal was to translate its brand promise – supporting people in their professional and personal growth – into the energetic, culturally charged world of the Baller League. It wasn’t just about reach, but about real relevance: How does “the new way of job searching” become a topic of conversation in a community more interested in sneakers than job ads?
SPORTFIVE was tasked with creating just that: an activation that not only stands out but sticks. The sponsorship should not feel like advertising, but like a genuine cultural contribution – approachable, entertaining, and with real value for the community.
XING Establishes Itself as a Credible Partner
XING has been the main sponsor of the Baller League since its first season – an innovative indoor football format co-founded in 2023 by Lukas Podolski and Mats Hummels. The league combines football, entertainment, and creator culture in a completely new way: matches are played on a 30x15 meter indoor field, accompanied by LED boards, music, live commentary, and a strong focus on social media. The Baller League is not just a sporting event, but a media spectacle – targeting a young, digitally savvy audience.
For XING, this environment offers the ideal stage to rethink sponsorship: moving away from traditional career messaging toward authentic, culturally relevant experiences. Already in the first two seasons, XING established itself as a credible partner of the league. In Season 3, the activation was designed to focus even more on community, creativity, and relevance – with the goal of making XING not just visible, but truly tangible.
SPORTFIVE’s Role
With a 360° approach, SPORTFIVE developed a holistic activation that transformed XING’s brand promise into emotional experiences. The centerpiece was the limited XING x GRAMPS jersey collection – a fashion statement that made waves not only on the pitch but also at Paris Fashion Week. The jerseys were co-designed with fashion label GRAMPS and launched in a high-impact drop, accompanied by a dedicated microsite experience, social media teasers, and an exclusive campaign video. The campaign connected fashion, football, and career in a way that hit the mark with the target audience.
The activation was complemented by formats such as “Employee of the Matchday,” influencer and creator collaborations with the RINOS, Luis Teichmann, and Rick Zabel, as well as tailored content production for social media, LED boards, and video. SPORTFIVE managed the entire process – from creative concept to production and distribution. All assets were centrally orchestrated: photos, videos, creator management, and media planning. The activation spanned owned, earned, and shared media and was driven by strong visuals and authentic storytelling. XING wasn’t just seen – it was felt as a real part of the Baller League.
Activations in Baller League Season 3
Employee of the Matchday
With the “Employee of the Matchday” (in German: Mitarbeiter:in des Spieltags) format, XING brought real job values like teamwork and fairness into football. Fans voted weekly for who shined on or off the pitch – including the league’s “unsung heroes.” Visible on social media, in the stream, and at the Final 4 with a live award presented by Lukas Podolski. Over 130,000 comments, 33 million touchpoints, and strong creator presence show: XING makes work culture tangible – and was rewarded with a format that the Baller League adopted itself.
Sponsor Swap on Matchday One
At the season start, XING deliberately gave up its jersey space – and surprisingly handed it over to the RINOS. The planned disruption was strategic and created viral moments: Knossi raged, Inscope stormed the locker room, the stream exploded. The RINOS, known for role-playing different jobs, directly connected to XING’s brand promise. The collaboration was activated live on YouTube and in the Baller League – with over 1 million views, 300k livestream viewers, and 200k social impressions. Sponsorship became real storytelling with cultural relevance.
Essential Jobs in the Spotlight
With paramedic and influencer Luis Teichmann, XING showed how social relevance, creator content, and brand communication can work together. A realistically staged first-aid stunt on the pitch, accompanied by educational content, interviews, and a paramedic vlog, put essential professions in the spotlight. Over 700,000 organic views, high engagement, and purpose with real value: XING makes visible where responsibility begins – and how vocation becomes a stage.
Career Reinvention with Rick Zabel
Rick Zabel shows how career change can be creatively staged: from pro cyclist to content creator – and now commentator in the Baller League. With a humorous live challenge, social reels, and an interview about job change, XING’s brand promise became tangible. 175,000+ views, strong platform relevance, and additional screentime in the stream – all without classic placement. A creator who lives change meets a brand that shows what new career paths can look like.
A Jersey Becomes a Symbol
Together with GRAMPS, XING developed a limited-edition jersey that makes origin, transformation, and self-determination visible. Designed by Jaadiee and his grandfather Alojz, the jersey became a symbol of identity and professional development. The 360° campaign with video, tunnel walk, creator seeding, and sweepstakes generated over 10 million impressions. The jersey sold out, reached new audiences – and landed at Paris Fashion Week. No logo placement, but streetwear with attitude: XING shows how brand messages become culturally relevant.
Final Four as Season Finale
At the big season finale, XING wasn’t just visible as a sponsor – it became an active part of Baller League culture. With the “Employee of the Season” award, the presentation of all major awards, and the fan penalty format “Community Prime Time,” XING created emotional moments – live in the Twitch stream, on the jersey, and on social media. Creators from three seasons returned voluntarily, wore the special jersey, and created content out of conviction. A finale that proved: those who offer real value become part of the community.
All Season 3 Highlights in the Video
From Sponsor to Active Contributor to Baller League Culture
Season 3 of the Baller League was a complete success for XING – both in numbers and perception. With over 750 million brand touchpoints, a new reach record was set. The activation achieved not only high visibility but also real impact: more than 56% of fans rated XING’s engagement as good to very good, and over a third of the community developed a more positive view of the brand.
The XING x GRAMPS jersey campaign stood out in particular – sparking conversations not only within the Baller League but also beyond, such as at Paris Fashion Week, where the jersey was celebrated as a fashion statement. The collection sold out completely and generated over 10 million impressions. It wasn’t about logo placement, but about streetwear with attitude and a strong symbol that XING connects transformation, origin, and future.
Moreover, XING was no longer seen merely as a sponsor, but as an active contributor to Baller League culture. The brand became part of conversations, memes, fan content, and creator formats – proof that sponsorship can be entertaining, relevant, and culturally resonant.
