Man City revs up regional sponsor roster with Astra Otoparts
April 7 – Manchester City has signed automotive component group Astra Otoparts as an Official Regional Partner of the Club.
Sponsorship
Betway to sponsor legends match as Hammers bid farewell to Boleyn Ground
April 7 – West Ham sponsor Betway has picked up title sponsorship for an England v Germany Legends match to be held in honour of the Boleyn Ground’s final season and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1966 World Cup final.
Dalian Wanda adds Atlético training ground to sponsorship portfolio
April 5 – Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda, which last month announced it had become the first Chinese company to sign up as a top-tier World Cup partner, has further cemented its European football sponsorship with a title sponsorship deal for Atlético Madrid’s training ground.
MegaFon dials-in with upgraded sponsorship of Russian Football
By Mark Baber
March 31 – The efforts of Vitaly Mutko, Russian Sports Minister and President of the Russian Football Union (RFU), to put the finances of Russian football on a solid foundation have received another boost as Russia’s second biggest mobile operator MegaFon has signed an agreement with the RFU to become a general sponsor of Russian football from 2016 until 2018.
Liverpool renews with Carlsberg for another three years
March 24 – Carlsberg have extended the longest running commercial partnership in English Premier League football with a three-year addition to their current 24-year long deal with Liverpool.
VW stays parked with their German Cup sponsorship through to 2022
March 22 – Scandal-hit Volkswagen has agreed to extend its sponsorship of the German national cup for six years until 2022.
Messi rings up more sponsorship cash with Huawei deal
March 21 – While Barcelona teammate Neymar is contemplating his €45.9 million fine for tax evasion in Brazil, Lionel Messi – no stranger to multiple tax fraud allegations himself – was signing on another sponsorship deal, this time with Chinese telecoms firm Huawei.
Pogboom! Paul Pogba secures €40m deal with Adidas
By Mark Baber
March 17 – Adidas finally confirmed on Wednesday morning that Paul Pogba has agreed what is believed to be a 10-year, €40 million deal with the company.
Inter Milan drive through new five-year shirt deal with Pirelli
March 15 – The on-off rumours that Pirelli were to end their 20-year sponsorship of Inter Milan have been ended with the club officially announcing that they had agreed a new five-year deal.
Man Utd sign Gulf Oil as global partner taking sponsor squad to 24
By Matt Scott
March 14 – Manchester United signed their latest global commercial partner in what has now become a 24-firm squad with the arrival on the scene of the Official Global Lubricant Oil and Fuel Retail Partner, Gulf Oil, on Monday.
Perfect marriage. Nike and Barcelona close in on €100m per year deal
By Mark Baber
March 4 – US sportswear giant Nike is reportedly prepared to offer Barcelona €85 million a year, plus bonuses bringing the total up to €100 million to extend the current sponsorship contract which expires in 2018.
Coke, Sprint and State Farm join Nike for Copa America Centenario in the US
By Samindra Kunti
March 3 – This summer’s centennial Copa America tournament in the US, the first time CONMEBOL has held the tournament outside South America and which will feature six teams from CONCACAF, has signed three high profile sponsor partners in Coca-Cola, Sprint and State Farm.
Man Utd turn on the power with new Yanmar deal
March 3 – It appear Manchester United fans like motor vehicles and the club likes motor manufacturers as global sponsors. Chevrolet are the club’s shirt sponsor, and sit alongside Japanese industrial Yanmar who have extended their deal to become the club’s first Agricultural Vehicles Partner.
Toronto cash in with Bank of Montreal 10-year stadium deal
By Ben Nicholson
23 February – The Bank of Montreal (BMO) has added ten years to its agreement with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), operators of Toronto FC, for the naming rights to its recently renovated stadium.
Mansion build their castle and place their bets on a revamped Crystal Palace
February 23 – Sunday’s big London derby FA Cup clash between Spurs and Crystal Palace – two of the teams that have shown they have the capability to upset the traditional old order in the Premier League – was a battle between two clubs that are investing deeply in players and stadium infrastructure to achieve their improved status. But as well as sharing an ambition to change the accepted English club hierarchy, they also have another commonality in that they either had or have a sponsor relationship with online casino Mansion.