Barclays ties-up Premier League

Barclays Bank has signed up as the title sponsor for the Premier League, as revealed exclusively in Marketing Week (MW, September 4).

Barclays acting sponsorship director Nic Goult says the deal with the Premier League will be integrated throughout Barclays’ global marketing, including the Samuel L Jackson advertising campaign.

The &£57m three-year deal is a substantial improvement on the &£48m deal signed with previous sponsor Barclaycard. Goult says the price reflects the fact the previous deal was not exclusive to Barclaycard, as the British Tourist Association (BTA) shared the global rights. The BTA is no longer part of the deal.

Goult adds: “This time we have the exclusive global rights, but the price also reflects that nothing can touch the Premiership as a sponsorship platform.”

As revealed last month, Barclays took the decision to transfer its sponsorship from its credit card brand in order to promote the core Barclays name around the world.

The Premier League is understood to have approached financial services rival Nationwide, but the company rejected the offer as lacking a natural fit. Nationwide insiders say they are concerned about having a high street rival on a competing sponsorship.

Goult says that the deal worked “fabulously well” for Barclaycard, and the decision was taken to replicate that success with the Barclays brand. Barclays is to embark on a global push to extend its business, and the Premier League sponsorship is seen as a key part of its integrated marketing push.

The deal needed final confirmation from the 20 Premier League club chairmen, who were unanimous in their approval.

Meanwhile, the Premier League has pocketed &£100m over three years for internet rights packages sold to Sky and the telecoms rights to a joint venture between Vodafone and 3UK.