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Heineken renews Champions League sponsorship

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Heineken has agreed a three-year renewal of its global sponsorship deal with the Uefa Champions League, SportBusiness can exclusively reveal.

As previously reported, the firm was understood to be in advanced negotiations with the European governing body and its exclusive sponsorship sales agency Team Marketing, with fellow current Champions League sponsor Mastercard also on the cusp of renewing.

The Dutch brewer is now understood to have signed the contract with Uefa and an official announcement about the extension is expected soon. It would become the second brand to renew its Champions League ‘Global Sponsor’ rights after PepsiCo announced a renewal in July, also exclusively reported by SportBusiness.

The agreement covers the next Champions League cycle from 2024-25 to 2026-27 and means the brewing company will have had an association with the competition in some shape or form since 1994.

The company’s Amstel brand sponsored the tournament from that point until the main Heineken brand took over the rights in 2005. The Uefa competition, previously known as the European Cup, was rebranded and reformatted as the Champions League for the 1992-93 season.

It remains to be seen if Heineken will also renew the sponsorship deal between its zero-alcohol Heineken 0.0 brand and Uefa’s second-tier club competition, the Europa League, which is combined as a package with the third-tier Europa Conference League.

Heineken was also a Euro 2020 sponsor, the second tier of the federation’s national team football programme, and is a top-tier Uefa Women’s Football Partner, the uppermost tier in its women’s football sponsorship programme. Uefa is currently in the market for Euro 2024 sponsors while the Women’s Football Partner deal is not due to expire until 2025.

Team Marketing has the remit to sell the global sponsorship rights to all Uefa club competitions for the next cycle while CAA Eleven is the exclusive sponsorship sales agency for national team football. TRM Partners, the sponsorship sales agency owned by Two Circles, supports the confederation’s search for sponsors for its women’s football programme.

Flat fee
SportBusiness understands Heineken is paying a similar sum on a per-annum basis to its previous three-year deal with the competition.

The brand is known to have been one of the highest-paying brands in the Champions League sponsorship portfolio and sources said the flat fee ought to be seen as a course correction to bring its deal closer into line with other sponsors.

Team Marketing is facing increased revenue targets for the Champions League based on the heightened media value of the competition as format changes expand its total number of matches and teams taking part.

To help meet the targets, Uefa’s Champions League sponsorship offering for the next cycle will include one additional top-tier Global Sponsor position and a new secondary ‘supplier-style’ tier, designed to appeal to technology brands or companies who lack the financial clout to take a top-tier package.

Uefa and Team are aware that affordability is becoming an issue for some brands, so part of the thinking behind the new slots is that they will spread the burden of meeting the new sponsorship revenue targets.

Set against this, sister title SportBusiness Sponsorship reported PepsiCo’s deal to be worth around 20 per cent more than its agreement in the last three-year cycle. The uplift is partly explained by the company securing an enhanced package of rights that includes the player hydration rights and pitch-side exposure for its Gatorade brand.

Sources said the company was keenly aware of interest from Coca-Cola in sponsoring the Champions League, with one suggesting the rival brand had come closer than ever to snatching the rights from PepsiCo. But SportBusiness Sponsorship has been unable to determine exactly how advanced discussions got with the competitor.

There is also understood to be an uplift in Mastercard’s renewal, which is thought to have been agreed in principle and is now at the contracting phase.

In April it was revealed Uefa had also accepted three offers from brands in relation to its Europa League and Europa Conference League packages but the identities of the companies in question has yet to be revealed.

Marketing & Sponsorship

NRFF President Applauds ValueJet’s Support For Rugby Development

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President of Nigeria Rugby Football Federation, NRFF, Dr Ademola Are has hailed the impact of ValueJet on rugby development and sports generally in the country.

Dr Are who was speaking on the sideline of the just concluded National Youth Games in Asaba, where Delta State emerged winner in both the male and female events of rugby, said ValueJet’s contributions to sports development cannot be overlooked.

“We can’t overemphasize the impact of ValueJet in Nigeria rugby because they came at a time we needed them the most and all thanks to the president of the company, Kunle Soname who went the extra mile to ensure that Nigeria senior men national team, the Black Stallions participated at Africa Sevens Olympic qualifier in Harare, Zimbabwe.

“Despite not being the most popular sport in the country, he saw the potential in rugby when others were hesitating just like he has for other businesses of his with his canny business acumen.

“The federation is happy with the involvement of the company in rugby and we hope to consolidate the collaboration by ensuring that the federation continues to give them the mileage they deserve through our programs.”

Nigeria Rugby Football Federation has set plans in motion for all their activities for the next calendar year which involves the kickoff of Rugby League, regional programs and participation in international rugby programs for 2024.

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Tottenham Hotspur commence partnership with Socios.com

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The Premier League side, Tottenham Hotspur have inked a partnership with a next-generation fan engagement and incentives firm, Socios.com.

In collaboration with Socios.com, the side is introducing the Spurs Fan Token to provide supporters access to a variety of club-related events, benefits, and experiences from all over the world.

The Spurs Fan Token becomes available on October 4. All One Hotspur+ Members and Season Ticket Holders who are 18 years of age and older will receive five free Fan Tokens, and all One Hotspur/One Hotspur Connect Members will receive one free Fan Token.

Fans will also receive an email with a coupon code that they can utilize inside the Socios.com app. The non-transferable free token will give users immediate access to club-related polls, forecasts, contests, and quizzes. These activities allow users to earn points to access rewards and experiences.

The Spurs and Socios.com will collaborate closely to offer customized benefits for Spurs supporters, including Big Screen messages, VIP tickets, Spurs Shop gift cards, and virtual meet-and-greets. Spurs Fan Tokens will be made available to non-members after the official debut at an initial cost of $2 apiece (about £1.65), also starting on October 4.

Through the collaboration, Socios.com will also provide funding for the Reignite initiative of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, which offers adult work possibilities and assistance with a healthy lifestyle to members of the club’s local community.

Ryan Norys, Commercial Sales Director, Tottenham Hotspur, said, “We’re pleased to be able to provide fans worldwide with a new range of Club-related rewards and experiences. Our Fan Token will build on the many benefits of our existing membership scheme. We’ll be offering all our Members and Season Ticket Holders free Fan Tokens at launch and are working with Socios.com to deliver a range of rewards that carry appeal to both domestic and international fans. The partnership is another example of how the Club is working to create additional recurring sources of revenue to reinvest in our football activities.”

Emma Diskin, Chief Operating Officer, Socios.com, said, “Fans across the world are being rewarded on Socios.com with one-of-a-kind experiences simply by showing support for their club through Fan Tokens. With this launch, Spurs fans will be able to engage in Club-related polls, predictors, and competitions, through which points can be gained to unlock new rewards and experiences. We’ve now welcomed seven English sides to our group of more than 100 major sporting organisations, and we’re determined to keep improving our app.”

Tottenham Hotspur have also signed significant partnerships with Cadbury, AstroPay, Kiton and TUMI. The team is currently fourth on the points table with 14 points, courtesy of four wins and two draws. The Spurs will now next take on Liverpool FC tonight at 10:00 PM IST and will aim to put on a good show in front of their home crowd.

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Inter Milan FC Reaffirm Partnership Renewal With Acqua S.Bernardo

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The famous Italian football club, Inter Milan FC have announced a partnership extension with the leading Italian mineral water brand, Acqua S.Bernardo.

Following the extension, Acqua S.Bernardo continues to be the official water partner of the Nerazzurri until the end of the 2025-26 Serie A season.

Through this renewal, the mineral drinking water brand will continue to be available to all Biscione men’s and women’s teams, as well as in the hospitality rooms at the San Siro Stadium and at all press conferences and other official club events.

Antonio Biella, Director General, Acqua S.Bernardo, said, “It is a great pleasure to remain alongside Inter, who have always represented Italy at the top levels of international football. Inter is one of the symbols of Milano, a city emblematic of Italy and S.Bernardo has always privileged Italian style, the bottle for our lightly mineralised water was also created by celebrated Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro.”

Before this development, the club already forged alliances with brands such as U-Power, BPER Banca, Santa Margherita, Enel, La Molisana, and Nike.

Acqua S.Bernardo spring water is defined by low levels of sodium, potassium, and magnesium, as well as a low dry residue (34.5mg/L), placing it among the less mineralized spring waters. As a result of its low salt percentage, it is frequently classified as “light” spring water.

La Beneamata are at their peak, and they are performing well in the ongoing edition. Till now, they have won five games in their six matches and secured 15 points. They are all set to face Salernitana in their next clash, tomorrow, October 1, at 12:15 AM IST.

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