LV= extends County Championship sponsorship

LV= has renewed its sponsorship agreement with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and will continue its title sponsorship of the County Championship until 2012.

The insurance and investment group has sponsored the domestic cricket competition since 2002, originally under its Frizzell brand, then Liverpool Victoria before switching to LV= in 2007.

The value of the three-year extension has not been disclosed but the last three-year deal signed in 2005 was said to be worth £1.2m to the ECB.

David Collier, chief executive of the ECB, says the renewal “underlines the benefits that sponsorship can bring to commercial partners”, adding that LV’s “continued support will play a key role in the future success of our national summer sport.”

The extension of the agreement will be welcome news to the ECB as it looks for a new primary sponsor of the England team after Vodafone announced in December it was dropping its sponsorship after 12 years.

English cricket’s governing body will also be looking to negotiate extensions or new sponsorship deals for England’s one-day internationals and test matches as existing agreements with Natwest and Npower respectively, come to an end at the end of next season.

Pictured left to right Essex / England cricketer Alistair Cook, LV= Group Chief Executive Mike Rogers and David Collier, ECB Chief Executive.