Football Partnerships

AIG Logo Makes it Into New Wii Soccer Game

By Lee Bains

Apparently, the creators of Konami’s new Wii soccer game didn’t get the memo; stateside, ‘AIG’ has nearly become a four-letter word.

According to MTV’s Multiplayer blog, in the introductory scene of ‘Pro Evolution Soccer 2009,’ those three infamous letters appear on the blue jerseys of the Manchester United, the British powerhouse that the corporation has sponsored of late. While this might get some U.S. players’ hackles up, we can’t really blame Konami. Just last week, the bailed-out corporation (which recently paid out $165 million in employee bonuses) shelled out an additional $28 million in order to sponsor the Manchester United through the 2010 season.

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Danish brewer Carlsberg has started negotiations to extend its 18-year shirt sponsorship deal with Premier League club Liverpool.

Carlsberg head of sponsorship Keld Strudahl revealed talks were taking place and a deal is expected to be finalised next year.

The current shirt deal, which expires at the end of the 2009/2010 season, is believed to be worth around £9.2 million (€10 million) a season.

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Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) has halved its sponsorship for the 2009 Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) Premier League.

Currently, the KCM Premier League sponsorship stands at K1.3 billion per year but the new development means the amount would reduce to K575 million per annum.

According to insiders at KCM, the decision was arrived at last year following the global credit crunch.

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Italian sportswear maker Kappa agreed a deal to become kit supplier to German Bundesliga football team Borussia Dortmund from the 2009-10 season.

The deal, brokered by the Sportfive agency, is for three seasons, and also gives Kappa pitch perimeter advertising and an allocation of VIP tickets.

Kappa’s kit supplier deals with other top European football teams include Werder Bremen, AS Roma, Feyenoord, Real Betis, Sampdoria, Partizan Belgrade, FC Nantes, and FC Copenhagen.

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By Igor Beuker

Telecom operator Youfone has become the official partner of the Dutch first soccer division: Jupiler League. Soccer fans that subscribe to Youfone can sponsor their favorite soccer team with their mobile phones.

Next Youfone donates 10% of the monthly mobile invoice directly to the selected soccer club within the Jupiler League. Youfone claims it can make this deal, since its smarter and cheaper: “we are the first mobile operator that charges phone calls per second and not per minute. The donation is at no extra costs for the fans.

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