The SPONSERS have producs to sell, so they use tournaments as the way to get exposure for those products. They pay for THEIR teams be fishing in these tournaments. They cover the entry fees and expenses for travel food and lodging for the event. The teams go out and do the pre-fishing to work out their fishing plans for the tournament.
The teams wear their sponser shirts, hats, etc. to the seminars, fishing out of the boat, and the awards presentations. The publicity when the teams come in money is then used by the sponser in ads all over the place.
One guy's company actually sponsered two PRO TEAMS at last week's tournament. One of the teams came in 2nd. place.
Tight lines and lots of action.
UPDATED 01-0-06
HERE ARE MY OTHER WEB PAGES
LINKS4FISHING AND SUPPLIES
SHOP WITHOUT DROPPING