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Shirt Sponsorship

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Most embarrassing shirt sponsors ever?

Submitted by WG on Wed, 10/10/2012 - 16:55

In the wake of Wonga's sponsorship of Newcastle United, the Daily Mirror has produced a list of the 10 most embarrassing shirt sponsors ever.   Most of the embarrassment seems to relate to rather unfortunate names as distinct from the product or service itself.

Magpies get the Wonga

Submitted by WG on Tue, 09/10/2012 - 08:56

Some Newcastle United fans are unhappy about the lucrative new shirt sponsorship deal the club has concluded with Wonga, the short-term loan company that has been criticised over its high interest rates.   Blackpool and Hearts already have deals with Wonga, but Blackpool has a slightly raffish air while Hearts has encountered serious financial problems.   Newcastle is an established and major top flight club.

Shirt sponsorship challenge for Uefa

Submitted by WG on Fri, 05/10/2012 - 08:42

This article has been written by Simon Hines of Sponsorship Today:


In the season 2011/12 the average shirt deal in France's Ligue 1 was estimated at €1.5m per season with Betclic topping the league at €5.5m with its Olympic Marseille sponsorship. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) was reportedly earning €4.9m from Emirates whereas OGC Nice had no shirt sponsor. If news reports are to be believed, a Qatari bank is close to finalising a deal worth €100m per year for shirt and stadium naming rights to PSG.

Chelsea extend shirt deal

Submitted by WG on Sat, 08/09/2012 - 09:38

Chelsea have renewed their shirt sponsorship with Samsung until the end of the 2014-15 season.  The deal is said to be worth about £18m a year.  However, that is dwarfed by the £50m annually that Manchester United agreed this summer to have General Motors, the makers of Chevrolet, as their shirt sponsor from 2014-15.

FA shirt deal will cost fans

Submitted by WG on Tue, 04/09/2012 - 13:07

The Football Association has signed a new shirt deal with Nike.  No doubt it is good business for them, but it will prove costly for England fans as they face the prospect of three different shirts in as many years. Fans will have to decide whether to pay £50 for a new shirt every season which, of course, costs a fraction of that to produce offshore.   Some fans have only recently bought the present kit.

Why was the Chevrolet United deal so big?

Submitted by WG on Wed, 15/08/2012 - 15:23

Simon Hines, the editor of Sponsorship Today, assesses the recent sponsorship deal between Chevrolet and Manchester United:

So why has the new deal broken previous records by such a high margin?  The first point to look at is the starting date. By the time the sponsorship starts in earnest in 2014, it will have been four years since the Aon deal was signed, so it is not an overnight doubling. Rights values for major properties are now growing at a rate well ahead of inflation.

Standard Chartered crisis poses challenge for Liverpool

Submitted by WG on Wed, 08/08/2012 - 08:36

Liverpool's shirt sponsors, Standard Chartered Bank, have been accused by US regulators of sanctions busting deals on behalf of the Iranians.   The allegations are denied by the Bank, but there is a real risk of their US licence being revoked.   This would pose serious difficulties for them as much as their income comes from facilitating trade deals.   In the meantime, 16 per cent has been wiped off the value of their shares.

Players wear false beards in sponsorship deal

Submitted by WG on Thu, 02/08/2012 - 12:46

Kendal Town football club have signed an unusual sponsorship deal that requires players to wear crocheted black beards with sideburns and red beanie hats in pre-match warm-ups.    Local firm Rosetta makes off-the-wall giftwear.   The beards are a big seller in the US and it is hoped that this success will be replicated in the UK.

The beards come in a variety of colours, including grey.

New shirt deal for United

Submitted by WG on Tue, 31/07/2012 - 12:24

The ability of Manchester United to attract increasingly lucrative sponsorship deals is demonstrated by their new shirt sponsorship deal with Chevrolet.    Their current deal with US insurer Aon, admittedly over a four year period, is worth £80m.   The new deal which will start from the 2014-15 season is reported to be worth $600m over seven years.   They are the club's fifth shirt sponsor.

Sunderland secure African sponsorship deal

Submitted by WG on Tue, 26/06/2012 - 08:43

Sunderland AFC have secured a unique African sponsorship deal with Invest in Africa.   The team will wear the logo of the not-for-profit organisation on their shirts for the next two years.   Tullow Oil, Africa's largest independent oil company, is the founding partner in an initiative which seeks to promote fresh investment in the continent.