Latest news with #sponsorship
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Sell it like Manchester United: how Hong Kong champions aim to conquer Asia
Enterprising Hong Kong champions Tai Po have set their sights on conquering Asia, both on the field and off it. And to help achieve that, they are looking to tap into the know-how behind Manchester United's recent high-profile visit to the city. The ambitious club have enlisted Paul Kam, whose ProEvents company has staged several marquee matches across the continent over three decades, to arrange around three high-profile overseas friendly fixtures each season. Kam promoted United's tour of Malaysia and Hong Kong in May. 'We want our club to have more exposure in the Asian market,' Francis Yip, who bankrolls Tai Po alongside his wife Catherine, told the Post. Promoter Paul Kam is linking up with Tai Po to arrange overseas fixtures. Photo: Jonathan Wong 'That would bring more attention from sponsors, and more money. Paul has connections and experience in staging matches here and overseas,' he said.
Arab News
5 hours ago
- Business
- Arab News
Saudi professional golfer Othman Almulla partners with SAL to support the Kingdom's sports development
JEDDAH: SAL Saudi Logistics Services has entered into a sponsorship agreement with Othman Almulla, the Kingdom's first professional golfer. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport The partnership is intended to nurture local talent and advance golf and the Saudi sports sector in general. 'I'm honored to have SAL's support on my journey,' Almulla said. 'Their belief in my mission reflects their broader commitment to the development of Saudi sports. Together, we aim not only to compete but to inspire, and I look forward to representing SAL and our Kingdom on the international stage.' Almulla made history as the first professional golfer from Saudi Arabia to compete on international circuits, currently participating in events such as the Asian Tour and the Asian Development Tour. His journey in the sport is marked by determination and a strong sense of national pride, resonating with the core values of the sponsorship. The agreement aims to provide Almulla with the support needed to inspire younger generations of athletes in Saudi Arabia. Beyond just financial backing, SAL sees this partnership as a way to foster a sense of community and pride in Saudi sports. Almulla's achievements are not only a source of inspiration but also a representation of what is possible for Saudi youth. Omar Hariri, CEO of SAL, said: 'We are proud to sponsor an ambitious and inspiring athlete like Othman Almulla, who represents a true model of achievement and excellence. This reflects our belief in the importance of supporting and empowering Saudi talent and contributing to a brighter future for sports in the Kingdom. Through this sponsorship, we also aim to expand our brand visibility both locally and internationally.' With this partnership, SAL joins a group of organizations — such as NEOM and Saudi Aramco — whose support champions Almulla's journey and helps to elevate Saudi Arabia's presence in the global sports arena.
The Guardian
17 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Manchester City's record £1bn deal with Puma and the value beyond bottom line
Manchester City had a billion reasons to celebrate the new kit deal with Puma announced last week, yet beyond the bottom line the value of the contract may prove priceless. The Guardian has learned that the 10-year deal, worth £1bn, contains clauses giving the German sportswear manufacturer options to extend the partnership way beyond that, but most significant to City may be what Puma's endorsement and huge financial commitment say to independent brands and the Premier League about the club's value. The Premier League has twice accused City of using related-party companies to artificially inflate the value of their sponsorship revenue. It blocked proposed deals with Etihad Airways and First Abu Dhabi Bank in 2023, sparking an acrimonious legal battle that remains ongoing. In a significant victory for the club, an independent panel ruled in February that the Premier League's associated party transaction (APT) rules in operation at that time were 'void and unenforceable'. City have since launched a legal challenge against amended APT regulations voted through by 16 clubs last November. Another independent panel is expected to rule on that matter later this year, with City reserving the right to sue the Premier League, depending on the outcome. The kit deal with Puma could prove an extremely useful weapon in City's armoury, as well as opening the door to other lucrative contracts, which has not gone unnoticed at other clubs. 'This is a huge deal for City, in terms of what it says about the size of the club and their ability to attract independent sponsors,' a senior executive at another club told the Guardian. 'City have submitted two legal challenges to the Premier League's APT rules after having two sponsorship deals blocked. But maybe those deals weren't overvalued after all?' The reported value of the Puma deal has attracted some scepticism because, at £100m a year, it is a huge rise on City's existing £65m-a-year Puma contract. The increase does not reflect City's recent merchandising sales which, according to figures collated by Uefa, brought in £69m last year, just over half the revenue generated by Manchester United and Liverpool, and far behind the world leaders, Real Madrid, whose merchandising income was £170m. City's ability to generate more than the £90m and £60m annual payments United and Liverpool will receive from Adidas next season has been widely questioned given their north-west rivals have larger global fanbases, but independent experts are adamant that Puma would not overpay. 'Puma's strategy is based upon having a smaller number of iconic clubs so Manchester City fits this profile,' Ricardo Fort, a former head of sponsorship at Coca-Cola and Visa who now runs his own consultancy firm, told the Guardian. 'They also have kit deals with other clubs in the City Football Group, including Palermo and Melbourne, but City will be their priority. 'Puma are very disciplined about what they will pay for sponsorship deals so will not have overpaid, or at least not by more than they had to. They are very rigorous.' Puma's relationship with City goes back to 2019, when they signed a group-wide deal that also covered Melbourne City, Girona FC, Club Atlético Torque and Sichuan Jiuniu FC. Despite this Puma had to beat off rival offers from Adidas and Nike to agree an extension, which may also go some way towards explaining its value. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion City's income and global profile have also increased significantly since 2019 on the back of the extraordinary achievements of Pep Guardiola's side, who have won 14 major trophies, including four Premier League titles in a row, and in 2023 became the second English team to claim the treble. In their annual report published last December, City announced a Premier League record revenue of £715m for the 2023-24 season, with commercial income accounting for £344.7m. Over the past five years City's revenue has grown by 50%, an increase which broadly tallies with the value of the Puma contract. For branding expert Marcel Knobil of BrandGuru, the partnership makes sense. 'Brands want to be associated with success and Manchester City can boast a record that no other club has achieved,' he said. 'The club also has an extremely wealthy owner behind it, which will also provide some future-assurance for Puma. Kit sponsors want teams to be both successful and packed with stars – and only deep pockets can secure the latter.' Puma's renewed commitment is also a confidence boost for City while they await the verdict of the Premier League's 130-plus charges related to alleged breaches of financial fair play rules. Numerous industry sources told the Guardian that the contract would almost certainly include so-called 'bad faith clauses' enabling Puma to terminate if the club are found guilty of serious wrongdoing. City declined to comment. The club have denied the charges, so do not consider early termination to be a possibility.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Amon-Ra St. Brown says viral headstand celebration on Cheerios box is 'dream come true'
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown told Free Press Lions reporter Dave Birkett his sponsorship deal with General Mills that put him on Honey Nut Cheerios boxes is a "dream come true."
New York Times
a day ago
- Business
- New York Times
Memphis' Big 12 pitch, including $200 million in sponsorships, isn't gaining traction: Sources
By Chris Vannini, Ralph D. Russo and Justin Williams The University of Memphis pitched itself to the Big 12 with an offer to bring sponsorship revenue to the conference while taking no media rights payments, an unprecedented offer to join a conference, but the deal has not garnered enough support within the league. Advertisement According to people briefed on the situation, that proposal would include Memphis joining the Big 12 without taking revenue from the league for at least five years — what administrators dub the 'SMU model' in the ACC — while also committing hundreds of millions in corporate sponsorships from Memphis supporters. Big 12 athletic directors recently met on the idea, and conference presidents talked about it on Monday. But the determination was that the league is not interested. One source said there was 'very little momentum for this,' and multiple league sources expressed concern that adding Memphis could 'dilute' the league's value in the next television deal. Any expansion would need 12 of 16 members to approve a move, a number that was not reached for UConn or Gonzaga in recent years. Memphis did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Memphis' proposal includes $200 million in sponsorships with FedEx, Lowe's and AutoZone over five years, according to one person. FedEx, based in Memphis, has long been a supporter of Tigers athletics, currently committing $25 million over five years in name, image and likeness support. Marvin Ellison, the CEO of Lowe's, is a Memphis graduate and is on the school's board of trustees, which also includes FedEx executive vice president Rob Carter. Multiple people with knowledge of the situation said Memphis' leadership first reached out to Big 12 presidents about the idea, rather than the conference office. The proposal would also include a clause allowing the Big 12 to kick the Tigers out before the next TV deal is done if it's determined they're not bringing enough value. The tepid performance of recent American additions to the Big 12, outside of Houston men's basketball, has also caused some pause among administrators. Memphis' pitch is an attempt to make this a no-risk situation for the Big 12. The school and its big-money supporters have tried to find a pathway to a Power 4 conference ahead of what could be another round of conference realignment in the next five years. After SMU got an ACC invitation in part thanks to its billionaire backers, Memphis is trying the same thing. Advertisement Memphis has also talked with the Pac-12 about a football-only membership, if the rest of the Tigers sports can get into the Big East, but that may not be a long-term solution. Men's basketball has historically been Memphis' signature sport. The Tigers have reached three Final Fours, including a championship game appearance under John Calipari in 2008. That and Memphis' 1985 Final Four appearance were later vacated due to NCAA violations. Memphis has 29 NCAA men's tournament appearances overall, including three of the past four seasons under coach and former Tigers star Penny Hardaway. But under Hardaway, the program has also incurred multiple NCAA investigations, including being placed on probation last week after an academic counselor paid two softball players to do coursework for a men's basketball player. The football program at Memphis, after decades of mediocrity and struggles, has had its greatest sustained success since joining the American in 2013. Under three different coaches, the Tigers have had five double-digit victory seasons, including each of the past two years under Ryan Silverfield, as well as a Cotton Bowl appearance under Mike Norvell to cap the 2019 season. They have not had a losing record since 2013. Memphis received $11 million from the American Conference in 2023-24, tops in the league it has been a member of since 2013 and also likely the most for a Group of 5 school. But as college sports continue to be reshaped and driven by who can find and spend the most money, perhaps toward an eventual consolidation, Memphis has tried to tap into its resources to find a new home. To this point, it hasn't happened.
