Every time a football team takes to the pitch millions of fans are glued to their TVs, watching the action unfold. Matches are beamed across the globe and with TV cameras trained on players' every move it is no surprise that team shirt sponsorship deals are becoming increasingly lucrative.
In 2013 Manchester United broke Barcelona’s record of being the team with the most lucrative sponsorship deal when they signed with luxury car brand, Chevrolet. For the next seven years David Moyes’ team will have the Chevrolet logo emblazoned across their shirt at a cost of £53 million, and Chevrolet's branding will be prominently displayed to United’s estimated 650 million international fans in every match.
Chevrolet replaces insurers Aon, whose four-year sponsorship is approaching its end and many fans have noted that just as with the insurance company, Chevrolet is not a particularly celebrated brand within the UK. It is however the international exposure these brands are aiming for and the luxury car brand is aiming to reach the Asian market and make an impact in America, where its parent company General Motors is located. Sponsoring Premier League teams has allowed brands to gain massive exposure and reach a broader audience, and with league teams enjoying such immense popularity it is not surprising that foreign interest in advertising is at an all-time high.
Thereis no denying the international exposure offered by football sponsorship and apart from physical product brands, many online enterprises have used this medium to great success. UK Online companies have experienced an increase in international interest and sports bookers Bwin and Bet365 both received increased international hits when they sponsored Real Madrid and Stoke City. The opportunities for other internet-based companies such as online casinos like www.MobileCasinoAustralia.com.au to step in and claim lucrative sponsorship deals is now reaching its pinnacle and being linked to a major sports brand could have a massive impact on hits. The tie-in between casino games and sports betting is closely linked and although the UK sports betting market has taken a knock with the demise of the SportingBet brand there is now a gap in the market for another online entity to step in.
Due to the increasing revenue of the Premier League, any tie-in with the brand can result in massive exposure and it is little wonder that football sponsorship continues to become exceeding lucrative.
