Football League eyes new title sponsor
Npower’s sponsorship of the the Football League could end next year after football chiefs confirmed that a new deal had yet to be agreed.
The exclusive negotiating period the energy company had to secure an extension deal with the Football League ended yesterday (1 October). It means that the governing body for the Championship, League 1, League 2 tournaments can now speak to potential partners.
The Football League will be keen to talk to international brands as it looks to exploit growing overseas interest. Under the stewardship of its chief commercial officer Richard Heaselgrave, it has focused on growing the international reach of its properties. US financial firm Capital One replaced Carling as the title sponsor of in June.
A spokesman for the organisation says that “discussions with Npower regarding the future of its involvement are ongoing”, despite being able to talk to other potential sponsors.
However, sponsors who fail to renogtiate their deals with rights holders within the exclusive negotiating period often decide not to renew. For example, Npower ended its two-year deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) after the exclusive period expired.
Npower took over from Coca-Cola as the League’s title sponsor at the beginning of the 2010/11 season in a £7m a-year deal. The energy supplier used the partnership to raise the profile of the brand through grassroots initiatives. At the time, the business said the deal was a “cost-effective means of raising awareness of the range of services we now offer customers.”
