Sponsorship Packages and Levels: How to Build and Price Tiers
By Ryan Doyle, founder of Book a Sponsor ·
A sponsorship package is a priced bundle of deliverables. Offer two to four tiers and price them from your main slot. In Book a Sponsor's read of 321 newsletter rate cards (29 September 2026), a second slot lists at a median 59% of that newsletter's main slot, a classified at 40%, and a dedicated send at 2.31 times.
The newsletter tiers below are priced from real rate cards, with the arithmetic shown. The event tiers are structure only, because we have no event prices to average.
What goes in a sponsorship package?
A sponsorship package holds four things: the deliverables, the audience proof, the price and the terms. Leave one out and the sponsor has to email you to find it, or moves on to a seller who listed it.
- Deliverables. What the sponsor gets, where it appears and how many times: a classified in one issue, a host-read ad in two episodes, a logo on the event site and a speaking slot.
- Audience proof. Size, average reach per piece and who the audience is, with a date and where the number came from.
- Price. One number per tier. "Rates on request" makes the sponsor do the work you should have done.
- Terms. Booking deadline, when the invoice is due, whether competitors are blocked, and what you report back.
In the media kit layout this site recommends, packages sit on page 5. The sponsorship media kit guide covers the other six pages. Newsletter owners can skip the blank page: Book a Sponsor's sponsorship proposal template prices packages for your exact list size.
What are sponsorship levels, and what do you name them?
Sponsorship levels are the named steps in a package, each with its own deliverables and price. The words levels and tiers mean the same thing. The names people use fall into three groups: metal names (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum), role names (Presenting sponsor, Supporting sponsor) and the naming-rights name (Title sponsor, as in "Event Name presented by Brand").
Name each tier by what the sponsor gets, then add a metal name in front if you like it. "Gold: dedicated send" tells a buyer more than "Gold" alone. The tables show both kinds of structure. The first is for a newsletter or creator, with prices. The second is for an event or nonprofit, structure only.
Tier structure for a newsletter or creator
| Tier | Newsletter | Price rule | At a $310 main slot | Podcast or video (structure only) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | Classified or text ad | $310 × 40% | $124, rounded to $125 | A short mention or pre-roll |
| Silver | Main slot in one issue | The main slot | $310 | A host-read mid-roll or a video integration |
| Gold | Dedicated send | $310 × 2.31 | $716.10, rounded to $715 | A dedicated episode or video |
| Platinum | Main slot in 4 issues | 4 × $310, no discount | $1,240 | A multi-episode run |
Prices appear only for the newsletter column because newsletters are what Book a Sponsor's data covers. The 5,000 to 19,999 subscriber bracket has a median main slot of $310 (n = 96). Source: Book a Sponsor's read of 321 newsletters' advertise pages, 29 September 2026. A multi-issue package here is the main slot times 4, because the data has no discount figure. If you offer a discount, write the number on the package.
Tier structure for an event or nonprofit
| Level | Role | What to put in it |
|---|---|---|
| Title or presenting sponsor | One sponsor, name attached to the event or program | Naming ("Event Name presented by Brand"), top logo placement, a speaking or demo slot, the most tickets, first call on renewal |
| Gold | A few sponsors at the top of the list | Large logo on signage and the event site, a booth or table, tickets, a social post |
| Silver | The middle of the list | Medium logo, fewer tickets, a mention in the program |
| Bronze or supporting | The entry level, open to many sponsors | Logo on the site and in the program, one social post, a thank-you at the event |
| In-kind | Goods or services instead of cash | Recognition equal to the cash tier whose value it matches |
No dollar amounts appear in this table on purpose. Book a Sponsor's rate data is newsletter-only, so there are no event rate cards to average. Price event levels from three things: what it costs you to deliver the benefits, what the sponsor would pay to reach the same people another way, and what sponsors paid at the same level last time.
How do you price sponsorship tiers from your main slot?
Pick one price, your main slot, and set every other tier as a ratio of it. Book a Sponsor compared each newsletter's other placements with its own main slot, so the ratios below come from inside the same newsletter and not from a mix of different ones.
| Placement | Median price vs its own main slot | Middle half of newsletters | Newsletters (n) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second slot in the same issue | 59% | 47% to 70% | 104 |
| Classified or text ad | 40% | 26% to 50% | 160 |
| Dedicated send (the whole email) | 2.31 times | 1.85 to 3.33 times | 98 |
Source: Book a Sponsor's read of 321 newsletters' rate cards, 29 September 2026. Each row uses only the newsletters that list that placement, so n differs by row. A newsletter with no classified slot has no classified price. Do not invent one.
- Set your main slot. Use your own price. If you do not have one, use the median for your list size from the next section, or work one out with the CPM math in how much to charge for a sponsorship or the sponsorship rate calculator.
- Bronze: classified or text ad = main slot × 40%.
- Add-on: main slot plus a second slot in the same issue = main slot + (main slot × 59%), which is 159% of the main slot.
- Gold: dedicated send = main slot × 2.31.
- Platinum: 4 issues = 4 × main slot.
Round each result to the nearest $5 so the card looks like a price list and not a spreadsheet. Treat the ratios as a starting point. A newsletter with an unusually strong click record can price above them, and one that has never sold a dedicated send should test one before listing it.
What do sponsorship packages cost at different list sizes?
In the 5,000 to 19,999 subscriber bracket (median list size 10,000), the median main slot is $310, a classified comes to $125 and a dedicated send to $715. The table repeats that arithmetic for every list size in Book a Sponsor's data. Each cell is the bracket's median main slot times the ratio from the table above, rounded to the nearest $5.
| List size | Main slot, median (n) | Bronze: classified (× 40%) | Main + second slot (× 159%) | Gold: dedicated send (× 2.31) | Platinum: 4 issues (× 4) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5,000 | $150 (68) | $60 | $240 | $345 | $600 |
| 5,000 to 19,999 | $310 (96) | $125 | $495 | $715 | $1,240 |
| 20,000 to 49,999 | $520 (76) | $210 | $825 | $1,200 | $2,080 |
| 50,000 to 99,999 | $700 (41) | $280 | $1,115 | $1,615 | $2,800 |
| 100,000 or more | $1,300 (40) | $520 | $2,065 | $3,005 | $5,200 |
Worked example, 5,000 to 19,999 subscribers: $310 × 40% = $124, rounded to $125. $310 × 159% = $492.90, rounded to $495. $310 × 2.31 = $716.10, rounded to $715. 4 × $310 = $1,240.
These are estimates built from two medians, a median main slot per size bracket and a median ratio across all sizes. No single newsletter published them. Main slots rise slower than lists do: in Book a Sponsor's data a list twice the size lists its main slot about 39% higher. Source: Book a Sponsor's read of 321 newsletters' rate cards, 29 September 2026.
Package builder: price your tiers from your list size
Enter your list size and, if you have one, your main-slot price. The tiers below update as you type. With no price entered, the main slot is the median for your list size. The result starts at 10,000 subscribers.
Main slot used: $310, the median main-slot price for lists of 5,000 to 19,999 subscribers (n = 96).
| Package | Price rule | Math | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze: classified or text ad | 40% of the main slot | $310 × 40% = $124, rounded to $125 | $125 |
| Silver: main slot | The main slot | $310 | $310 |
| Add-on: main slot plus a second slot | 100% + 59% = 159% of the main slot | $310 × 159% = $492.90, rounded to $495 | $495 |
| Gold: dedicated send | 2.31 times the main slot | $310 × 2.31 = $716.10, rounded to $715 | $715 |
| Platinum: 4 issues, main slot in each | 4 × the main slot, no discount | $310 × 4 = $1,240 | $1,240 |
Based on Book a Sponsor's read of 321 newsletters' rate cards, 29 September 2026. Derived prices are rounded to the nearest $5. Your main slot stays as entered. A 4-issue package has no discount because the data has none.
What goes in a sponsorship package template?
A sponsorship package template has five blocks: a one-line description of who you are, the audience numbers with a date and source, the packages, the terms, and your contact details. Copy the text below, replace every item in square brackets and fill the prices from the builder above. Keep it to one page so a sponsor can read it in a minute.
SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES: [YOUR NAME OR BRAND], [YEAR] ABOUT [One sentence: what you publish or run, and who reads, listens, watches or attends.] AUDIENCE (as of [DATE], source: [your email platform, podcast host or analytics]) - Size: [subscribers, listeners, followers or attendees] - Average reach: [opens, downloads or views per issue, episode or video] - Who they are: [job titles or interests, and top countries] PACKAGE 1: BRONZE, [NAME OF PLACEMENT] - Includes: [what the sponsor gets, where it appears, how many times] - Price: $[amount] PACKAGE 2: SILVER, [NAME OF PLACEMENT] - Includes: [what the sponsor gets, where it appears, how many times] - Price: $[amount] PACKAGE 3: GOLD, [NAME OF PLACEMENT] - Includes: [what the sponsor gets, where it appears, how many times] - Price: $[amount] PACKAGE 4: PLATINUM (OPTIONAL), [NAME OF PLACEMENT] - Includes: [what the sponsor gets, where it appears, how many times] - Price: $[amount] TERMS - Booking: [how far ahead, and the deadline for the sponsor's copy and links] - Payment: [when the invoice is due, and any deposit] - Exclusivity: [whether competitors are blocked, and for how long] - Reporting: [the numbers you send after the placement runs] - Changes and cancellations: [your policy] CONTACT [Name, email, link to your media kit]
Paste it into a document or an email, or put it on page 5 of your sponsorship media kit. Once the packages exist, send them with a cold email sponsorship pitch and attach the kit.
What mistakes make sponsorship packages fail?
- Too many tiers. Every tier needs its own deliverable and its own price, and each one is another thing for the sponsor to compare. Stay between two and four.
- Tiers that differ only in price. If Silver and Gold contain the same placements, nobody has a reason to buy Gold. Each step up should add a placement, more reach or exclusivity.
- No price. A package with "rates on request" asks the sponsor to guess whether it fits the budget. Print the number.
- No audience proof. A package without size, average reach and a date makes the sponsor take your word for it. Add the source of each number.
- Invented discounts. Our data has no multi-issue discount figure, so the examples above use none. If you offer one, put the percentage on the package so every sponsor sees the same offer.
Sponsorship packages FAQ
What are sponsorship levels?
Sponsorship levels are the named steps in a sponsorship package, each with its own deliverables and price, such as Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Levels and tiers mean the same thing. A sponsor picks one level, and each higher level adds placements, reach or exclusivity.
How many sponsorship tiers should you offer?
Offer two to four. Three is easy for a sponsor to compare and for you to price. Add a fourth only when it adds something new, such as a multi-issue package. Tiers that differ only in price give a sponsor no reason to choose between them.
What should you name sponsorship tiers?
Name each tier by what the sponsor gets, then add a level word if you want one. For a newsletter: classified, main slot, dedicated send. For an event or nonprofit: title or presenting sponsor, then Gold, Silver and Bronze. Metal names are widely understood, so a sponsor does not need them explained.
How do you price a sponsorship package?
Start from one price, your main slot, and price every other tier as a ratio of it. In Book a Sponsor's read of 321 newsletters' rate cards (29 September 2026), a classified lists at a median 40% of the main slot, a second slot at 59%, and a dedicated send at 2.31 times. At a $310 main slot, the median for lists of 5,000 to 19,999 subscribers, that is $125 for a classified and $715 for a dedicated send.
What is a sponsor kit?
A sponsor kit, also called a sponsorship kit, is the document or page you send a sponsor: who you reach, the packages and prices on offer, past results and how to book. It overlaps with a media kit. The difference is that a sponsor kit leads with the packages and their prices.
How much is a gold sponsorship?
It depends on what you sell. For a newsletter, a gold tier built as a dedicated send lists at a median 2.31 times the main slot in Book a Sponsor's read of 321 rate cards: about $715 at a $310 main slot and $3,005 at a $1,300 main slot. For an event or nonprofit there is no data on this page. Price gold from what it costs you to deliver and what the sponsor would pay to reach the same people another way.
Packages priced? Get them in front of brands that sponsor newsletters
If you run a newsletter, Book a Sponsor finds brands that sponsored similar newsletters, sends the pitches from its own mailboxes, and introduces you when a brand replies.
See sponsors for your newsletter →