IRIS and World Aquatics nominated for prestigious Best Use of Measurement & Insight award

World Aquatics partnered with IRIS to transform how it measures, proves, and communicates the commercial value of its flagship event — the 2025 World Aquatics Championships. Facing increasing pressure to satisfy existing partners and attract new ones, World Aquatics needed credible, cross-platform data to demonstrate its global reach and sponsorship impact.

IRIS, a fast and flexible insights agency experienced with international federations, delivered a comprehensive cross-media research programme that combined broadcast, digital, social, and earned media analysis. Weekly insights during the Championships enabled real-time optimisation, while a full post-event valuation provided robust, industry-standard evidence of sponsorship performance and audience behaviour.

Armed with this data, World Aquatics built a powerful databank that underpinned commercial growth. The research directly supported the renewal of long-term partner Myrtha Pools and the addition of major new partners, including including Sony, Omega, Yakult Alibaba Cloud, Bornan Sports Technology, KAP7 International, and TYR Sport.

The ongoing collaboration – which begun in 2021 – has delivered not only short-term commercial wins but also a lasting strategic shift. Insight is now embedded at the heart of World Aquatics’ commercial planning, enabling data-driven storytelling, improved partner confidence, and more informed marketing and activation strategies.

This collaboration demonstrates how the intelligent use of measurement and insight can unlock genuine business impact — transforming data into action, and action into sustained commercial success. The World Aquatics x IRIS partnership stands as a best-practice model for how research can empower global sports organisations to grow with confidence.