Carlsberg signs £40m FA sponsorship deal
Carlsberg beer is to be the official sponsor of FA football in the UK for the next four years, in a deal worth about &£40m.
As one of the five “pillar sponsors” under the FA’s Partner Scheme (MW March 14), Carlsberg will sponsor the FA Cup and the England team up to, and including, the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Carlsberg already has a deal with UEFA to sponsor the European Championships in 2004 and 2008. Carlsberg-Tetley managing director of brands and sales Doug Clydesdale says: “Carlsberg-Tetley has a fully integrated programme – the European Championships, the FA Cup and the England team – which together add value to the brand. With other companies pulling out of football sponsorship, Carlsberg-Tetley has become even more dominant, and will be able to build up good momentum.”
Carlsberg was one of the ten official sponsors under the FA’s previous sponsorship system, the FA Associate Scheme. FA chief executive Adam Crozier says the FA was “delighted to be building on its existing relationship with Carlsberg. It’s hugely respected within football.”
The deal means that the FA has locked in four of the five “top tier” partners it was searching for to guarantee a sponsorship income of &£200m over the next four years. Sports clothing manufacturer Umbro signed an eight-year deal worth &£130m to be the FA’s “elite” sponsor; Nationwide is paying an estimated &£30m to continue its sponsorship of women’s football for four years; and McDonald’s is paying an estimated &£28m to be the “grass-roots” sponsor.
