When is the best time to approach sponsors about budgets and partnerships?

According to Monster Energy's finance team, most sponsorship conversations happen in late summer, specifically August and September. This is when marketing departments are planning budgets for the following year. The budgeting process works from the bottom up - department heads for different sports categories submit their requests, which get compiled and compared to prior year spending before approval. Understanding this timing allows athletes to have conversations when budgets are being allocated rather than after money has already been committed.