German 2. Bundesliga soccer team MSV Duisburg, to face Schalke in the final of the German Cup this month, have reportedly agreed a kit sponsorship deal with Nike after ending their long-term association with Uhlsport.

Duisburg have been sponsored by Uhlsport for over a decade but deal is coming to an end at the end of the season. It now appears that the club have secured the sponsorship of the world’s leading sports brand Nike, who also recently partnered with league rivals VfL Bochum and Hansa Rostock.

Uhlsport have also seen their ties with relegation-threatened 2. Bundesliga side Rot-Weiß Oberhausen ended. The club have instead secured the services of Danish apparel brand Hummel to manufacture the club’s teamwear during the 2011/12 season.

English Premier League soccer club Arsenal have agreed a three-year partnership with home appliance manufacturer Indesit in a multi-million pound deal, according to the club.

Under the terms, Indesit will work with the north London club as it looks to drive business in the UK and throughout Europe.

The news comes as another boost after Deloitte claimed Arsenal earned some £44m (US$72.67m) in commercial revenues last season, just over half of the £81.4m ($134.4m) earned by Premier League rivals Manchester United.

Tom Fox, Arsenal’s chief commercial officer, stated: “The Arsenal name is known and recognised around the world. It is synonymous with an attractive style of play, a youthful team, innovation, tradition and winning. These values are immensely powerful for our partners and provide them with a platform to both differentiate their brands and connect them on a meaningful level to our fans and potential fans around the world.

“The more we understood about Indesit’s approach to the market, their company values and plans for growth, the more we both realised how a relationship with Arsenal could benefit both parties.”

Vinai Venkatesham, Arsenal’s head of global partnerships, added: “I’m delighted to welcome Indesit on board as an official partner of Arsenal. We’ve enjoyed working closely with Indesit to put together a partnership to best suit both organisations and I look forward to working just as closely with them in the years ahead to maximise the potential of our relationship.”

Indesit brand marketing director, Marco Rota, said: “Arsenal Football Club has values linked to our brand, which is why we are particularly happy to sign an agreement with a partner with so much popularity, not only in the UK but all over Europe too. Arsenal is one of the greatest football teams in the world and we’re looking forward to enjoying a successful partnership together.”

The UEFA European Under-21 soccer championship has signed its fifth national sponsor in Wnder Card for the tournament which takes place in Denmark this June.

Wunder Card, clinic a youth card that offers rail travel discount in Denmark to people between the ages of 16 and 25, thumb will actively promote the tournament under the terms of the agreement joining Intersport, Ekstra Bladet, Radio 100 and Arriva as national sponsors.

David Taylor, chief executive of Uefa Events commented: “Uefa is glad to welcome Wunder Card on board as a national sponsor of the U21 tournament. Preparations for the final tournament are now well under way and the addition of Wunder Card will provide additional exposure and support for the delivery of a top-class event in Denmark this summer.”

Wunder Card marketing director Anders Iversen added: “Wunder Card is very pleased to participate and support the Uefa European Under-21 Championship in Denmark and we are proud that Uefa has chosen us as a partner. We look forward to participating in the biggest sporting event in Denmark this year.”

Olympic partner Samsung has recruited soccer icon David Beckham to act as a global brand ambassador for the London 2012 Games.

As brand ambassador, Beckham will be used in promotional campaigns across various platforms by Samsung, which holds the exclusive rights in the wireless communications equipment category for the Games. The LA Galaxy midfielder played a key ambassadorial role in London’s winning bid for the 2012 Games.

Gyehyun Kwon, Samsung’s vice-president and head of worldwide sports marketing, stated: “David has been actively taking part in a number of initiatives to help young people around the world to enjoy a better life, while Samsung’s London 2012 marketing campaign will also place great importance on the value of engaging youth. To this end, we’re delighted that David will be supporting our goal to extend the Olympic Games spectator experience to fans throughout the world using our leading smart mobile technology.

“David Beckham is a global sports icon who is helping to raise the profile of the London 2012 Olympics and attracting more of us to watch and to actively participate in the Games. We are very excited about the new partnership for our customers and fans of the Olympic Games and we’re looking forward to working with David across the range of London 2012 marketing initiatives we will be pursuing until the end of 2012.”

Beckham added: “I’m very proud to be part of the team that brought the Olympics to my home city, London. It is one of the greatest events in the world. Working with a globally respected brand, like Samsung, our aim will be to help more and more people to enjoy and share the excitement of the London 2012 Olympic Games.”

Meanwhile, the 36-year-old claimed that he would love to play for a combined Great Britain side in next year’s Games, having been touted in coaching and managerial roles in the past. The debate goes on as to whether the FAs of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will allow their players to play in the tournament amidst fears that they will lose their independence as a soccer nation, a notion that FIFA has consistently rejected.

Frontier Airlines has been unveiled as an official partner of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), providing discounted travel to LPGA constituents whilst receiving prominent branding at tournaments as well as on LPGA.com.

The Denver-based carrier joins the recently signed up RR Donnelley and CME Group as partners, and the addition of Frontier has increased the LPGA roster of national sponsors to 15.

Jon Podany, the LPGA’s chief marketing officer, said: “Frontier Airlines uses the tagline ‘a whole different animal,’ which represents the commitment to do the little things that make a big difference to customers. At the LPGA, we have a similar campaign called ‘See why it’s different out here’. No matter how you phrase it, we are both focused on providing unique and positive experiences for our consumers and partners.”

Ian Arthur, vice-president of marketing and branding for Frontier, added: “The LPGA has an excellent reputation built on positive fan experiences and a real commitment to giving back to its community.

“This partnership is a tremendous opportunity for Frontier to secure significant visibility with an audience that clearly appreciates the similar commitments these two organisations have to providing a better and different guest experience.”

Ireland’s premier horse racing venue, order the Curragh Racecourse has announced two significant race sponsorship agreements with Stobart Ireland and Goffs

Under the terms of their two-year agreement, sales Stobart Ireland is the new title sponsor of the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh racecourse on June 25.

The race, symptoms first run in 1947, is part of the prestigious Breeders Cup Challenge Series and is also linked to the Grade One Beverley D Stakes taking place at Arlington Park in Chicago.

Goffs is the new title sponsor of the Group 1 National Stakes at the Curragh.  Consistently rated as the top two year old race in Europe held on September 10. The race is also a part of the Breeders Cup Challenge Series.

Goffs Chief Executive Henry Beeby added:  “We are delighted to demonstrate our support of Irish racing at the highest level and continue our close association with The Curragh through the sponsorship of this world class Group 1 race on The Irish Field St Leger day.  The calibre of the Goffs National Stakes and its timing in mid September is a perfect fit for Goffs, offering a fantastic platform for our ongoing promotion of the Orby Sale”.

UEFA have announced that leading Danish public transport provider Arriva has been named as a national sponsor of this summer’s UEFA European Under-21 Championship finals.

In becoming the official transportation services company of the tournament, Arriva will help to promote the finals, which begin on June 11, taking place in the cities of Aalborg, Aarhus, Herning and Viborg.

David Taylor, CEO of UEFA Events SA, said: “UEFA is delighted to welcome Arriva on board as a national sponsor of the U21 tournament. As official transportation services company of the U21 finals, Arriva will give the championship a significant boost by providing valuable exposure for the tournament across their different transportation vehicles.”

Denmark were unveiled as hosts of the tournament in December 2008 and preparations for the finals have been ongoing ever since.

Radio 100 joined Ekstra Bladet and Intersport as national sponsors of the competition earlier this month. The major Danish broadcaster TV 2 is UEFA’s broadcast partner in the host country for the championship.

Mercury Insurance has announced it is to partner with the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise Los Angeles Dodgers, cialis a side in the midst of an ownership dispute, medstore for the fifth consecutive year.

Under the new agreement Mercury Insurance will run two online promotions for fans of the Dodgers to win premium prizes – the ‘Pick Your Prize’ sweepstakes and ‘Get a Quote, Get a Pair of Dodgers Tickets’ offer, both of which start with immediate effect.

Erik Thompson, advertising director at Mercury stated: “The Dodgers are one of the most storied teams in all of sports. They have an incredibly loyal fan base, draw more than 3 million fans a year and have been a major part of the Los Angeles community for more than five decades. We’ve enjoyed a terrific relationship with the team for the past five years and this sponsorship has been a big business driver for Mercury.”

British society the Co-operative has become the primary sponsor of English League One soccer club Rochdale for the next two years.

The deal will see the company’s logo appear on the front and back of Rochdale’s home and away shirts. The Co-operative, which encompasses a range of nationwide member-owned business including supermarkets, financial institutions and funeral homes, was formed in Rochdale in 1884.

Liz Matkin, the head of sponsorship at the Co-operative, said: “Our partnership with Rochdale AFC forms part of our ‘Join the Revolution’ campaign which looks back at our heritage and how that has shaped our society today. We’re proud to not only put our name on the front of Rochdale’s shirts but 1844, the date it all began, on the back!”

Rochdale sales and marketing manager Iain Johnstone added: “This is fantastic news for the club. The Co-operative has been an important partner of ours for many years and is an important player in the town. This new deal will give the Co-operative a great platform to talk about their history in Rochdale and also enjoy a greater level of awareness through our rejuvenated team.”

A new ‘Every Shirt Tells a Story’ campaign has been launched by English Football League sponsors nPower, to promote its partnership and coincide with the last few games of the season, as well as the play-off finals.

The ad campaign, by VCCP Blue & WPA, invites fans from across the country to tell anecdotes behind why they favour certain replica shirts – with the most entertaining featured in TV ads from May 12 as the ad campaign kicked off over the bank holiday weekend. 

Six ‘Face of the Finals’ winners will also appear on giant posters at Wembley and Old Trafford football stadiums. 

The campaign also pushes Npower’s Football Saver tariff, which offers customers a £45 (US$74) voucher to spend in their local Football League club shop and marketing director, Kevin Peake stated: “The fans can start their own shirt story by getting next season’s shirt, and the club benefits from receiving the voucher.”