Npower to end Football League deal

Npower is to end its sponsorship of the Football League.  The current three year deal worth £21m concludes at the end of the season.   Npower is changing its brand positioning and market strategy to give it more of a retail emphasis, emulating brands such as John Lewis and Marks and Spencer.

Npower is to end its sponsorship of the Football League.  The current three year deal worth £21m concludes at the end of the season.   Npower is changing its brand positioning and market strategy to give it more of a retail emphasis, emulating brands such as John Lewis and Marks and Spencer.

The Football League is in talks with a number of potential sponsors, but no deal has yet been concluded. It will be interesting to see if the present deal can be matched.   These talks have been going on since October and it is unusual not to have a preferred bidder by this stage.

It is understood that the Football League has been seeking a deal worth £10m a year, a 43 per cent increase on the present deal.   But the nearer the end of season deadline is, the more bargaining power potential sponsors have.   Some analysts consider that the appeal of the Football League is diminishing with attendances falling.