The Sony Ericsson Open, thumb the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event, ailment has secured Swiss chocolate producer Lindt as its host sponsor. The tournament features tennis’s top male and female players, cialis including record Grand Slam winner and Lindt brand ambassador, Roger Federer.

Lindt is entitled to visibility on the central pedestrian display, tournament signage, and airing of brand commercials and chocolate trivia messages on the jumbo screens under the terms of the agreement.

The company will also roll out a range of promotions within the Miami venue, including tasting opportunities throughout the ground, in media booths, at the players’ party, and at the Lindt Lindor Dream Centre, where fans can learn about the production of Swiss chocolate and have a photo with a life-size model of Roger Federer.

In addition, the company will also provide the chance for fans to upgrade their seats to courtside ones through their ‘Sweet Seats’ in-stadium text promotion.

Thomas Linemayr, chief executive and president of Lindt USA, stated: “This sponsorship gives us a great opportunity to showcase our brand and share the premium chocolate experience with more than 300,000 attendees at the Open. We are excited to have a presence at the tournament, to engage with fans and help cheer on our brand ambassador, Roger Federer.”

Next season’s Scottish soccer cup, previously known as the Co-operative Insurance (CIS) Cup, will be named the Scottish Communities League Cup after a new £1m (US$1.64m), one-year package was announced by First Minister Alex Salmond as part of the Scottish Government’s programme of investment in football.

The trophy now sponsored by cash seized from criminals, had been sponsored by CIS since 1999, but that deal has now drawn to a close and the Scottish Government, having previously sponsored the Scottish Cup for two years, has stepped in to bridge the gap.

The funding from the Proceeds of Crime Act will be used in partnership with the Scottish Football League (SFL) to deliver increased opportunities in sport and physical activity for young people through local football clubs.

The new agreement comes as a direct result of the recent Old Firm summit, called by Salmond following a volatile Scottish Cup replay encounter between Celtic and Rangers on 2 March.

The nation’s First Minister stated: “The Scottish Communities League Cup strengthens the commitment made at the recent football summit to support the expansion of existing community and social partnerships and back clubs, authorities and police in tackling alcohol misuse, sectarianism, racism, domestic abuse and violence.

“Everyone involved in the summit was determined that the positive ideas would be turned into action and here we are, less than a fortnight since the summit was held, announcing a major step forward for Scottish football.

“However, there is much more to be done and all parties involved are committed to delivering the proposals and securing a bright future for our budding footballers.”

In return for the sponsorship, the SFL will encourage its clubs, coaches and players to strengthen their involvement with local communities and schools.

One of the Olympic Games’ main sponsors, Dow Chemical Company hopes that its affiliation with the flagship sporting event can double its sales in Russia to US$1.5bn by next year, they have claimed.

George Hamilton, the vice-president of Dow’s Olympic Operations, said: “We estimate that the Olympic Games will drive in excess of $100bn of infrastructure spending over the next 10 years.”

Dow Chemical joins Coca-Cola, General Electric, Visa and Panasonic as one of the main sponsors of the Olympics through to 2020, and Hamilton believes that this sponsorship should be a springboard to increasing the company’s brand awareness outside of the United States, and that this may require joining up with Russian companies.

He said: “This gives us a global platform for telling Dow’s story, about how our technology and our science bring improvements to mankind every day.

“To be truly successful here we have to maybe do some acquisition and some [joint ventures].”

Hamilton dismissed the notion that Russia is a difficult place for foreign companies to do business further voicing the view that Russia is an hospitable business environment.

Dow has a joint venture already in place with Dow-Izolan, making polyurethane systems, and has an understanding in principle with Rusnano, a state run nanotechnology company.

Sponsorship is approximately $90m for a four year cycle, and requires Olympic hosts to give preference to Dow products used in competition projects, on the proviso that they meet technical and cost specifications.

Hamilton added that Dow was supportive of Russia’s entry into the World Trade Organisation, believing that this step “will accelerate the country’s integration with the rules and opportunities of the broader global economy”.

He went on to play down corru[tion concerns which have centred around the construction of venues for the Sochi winter Olympics in 2014, stating: “Is it [corrupt] there? Probably. But we do not see this as an issue for Dow.”

Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket franchise Kochi Tuskers Kerala have secured leading private sector bank, Federal Bank as its principal sponsor.

In a function held at the Corporate Office of the Bank at Aluva on Sunday, Federal Bank Executive Director P C John exchanged the signed agreement to this effect with Kochi IPL’s Mehul Shah.

Federal Bank Chief General Manager T S Jagadeesan, Public Relations Head Raju Hormis, along with Kochi IPL Directors Vivek Venugopal and Saket Mehta also attended the function.

Under the terms of the partnership, tickets to the matches will be available through select branches of the Bank and website. More innovative ideas are in pipeline to cheer the cricket fans and will be launched soon.

The franchise had earlier signed up Lotto as the official apparel partner.

The UK’s largest five-a-side soccer centre operator Powearleague has announced that Lucozade will become its new title sponsor.

The league competitions around the UK will now be known as the Lucozade Powerleague. 

A wide range of joint initiatives including naming and branding rights, herbal product distribution, nurse national tournaments including the official Lucozade Powerleague Cup and digital marketing opportunities including social media and pitch access are all included in the new four-year agreement. 

Nigel Hargreaves, nurse commercial director of Lucozade Powerleague, said: “We have ambitious expansion plans to grow our estate across the UK, Ireland and into Europe and are excited about the potential that we are able to offer Lucozade and other sponsors we expect to join in due course”.

Lucozade Powerleague’s 45 soccer centres attract over 130,000 visitors each week and today has over 6,000 teams playing in over 750 divisions around the country.

Alex Saunders, senior brand manager for Lucozade, added: “Five-a-side football is an increasingly popular format and Lucozade Powerleague is the largest premium operator in the market”. 

“The partnership represents an ongoing commitment to supporting football at grassroots level and will enable us to engage directly with amateur footballers”.

Indian radio station Fever 104 FM has renewed its partnership with the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) Delhi Daredevils cricket team as the official radio partner of the team for the league’s fourth edition.

The radio channel has been consisting partner of the team from past three seasons and the station’s Business Head S Keerthivasan said in a statement: “The format of the game is very entertaining and highly active. We look forward for a long term relationship with Delhi Daredevils.”

In its fourth season in IPL, Fever 104 FM, will launch a series of campaign aimed at “deepening the team’s roots in the city of Delhi and have Dilliwallas cheer for their home team with more vigour and rejuvenated enthusiasm this season”.

Commenting on the tie-up GMR COO Amrit Mathur said: “We are sure Delhi Daredevil fans will love the innovative and fun filled content that Fever 104 FM has planned for the upcoming season.”

ATP World Tour 500 tennis event, drugs the German Open has secured a deal with Bet-at-home.com to become the title sponsor of the championship for the next three years.

The clay-court competition carries a prize-fund of US$1.4 million and will now be known as the ‘bet-at-home.com Open’, view having been downgraded from top-tier ‘Masters Series’ status in 2009, cough  

This is not the first time that the bet-at-home.com has been named title-sponsors of the ATP event, having agreed a similar deal in 2009, only to be prevented from doing so by German law. At the time, advertising of non-German betting companies was prohibited, however, in September 2010 the European Court ruled this was contrary to European law.

At the time of the initial deal in 2009, a speculated worth of over US$350,000 was estimated per year and indications suggest that Bet-at-home has committed to spending a similar amount this time around.

German Open tournament director, and former Wimbledon winner, Michael Stich stated: “Bet-at-home fits very well with the German Open at Rothenbaum. This is a building block for the long-term preservation of the tournament.”

Ukrainian Premier League soccer club Shakhtar Donetsk have announced a one-and-a-half year sponsorship deal with Turkish Airlines.

Turkey’s flag carrier will have their logo emblazoned on the upper back of the first team’s home and away shirts of the side which have successfully qualified for the UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals, order where they will face tournament favourites Barcelona.

Under the terms of the agreement, order Turkish Airlines will also receive perimeter hoarding signage at Shakhtar’s home ground, try the Donbass Arena, as well as on the club’s official website and television channel.

Additionally, Turkish Airlines will fly Shakhtar’s players and staff to and from matches and in return, players will be involved in the airline’s public relations activities.

Turkish Airlines already hold sponsorship deals with Manchester United and Champions League opponents FC Barcelona

National Basketball Association (NBA) giants the Boston Celtics’ has announced that Arbella Insurance will be the presenting sponsor of sides playoff run this season.

Massachusetts-based mutual insurance firm, The Quincy is to be the team’s sponsor for the post-season campaign for a second straight year.

Arbella Insurance and the Celtics will create a co-branded logo, used in the promotion of the team’s playoff games under the terms of the agreement.

As well as promotional exposure through local broadcast partners Comcast Sportsnet New England and Sports Radio 850 WEEI-AM, Arbella will also receive scoreboard and signage at the Celtics’ home court, TD Garden.

The Celtics became the first team in the league to clinch a playoff berth this season and are searching for an 18th NBA title.

English League One soccer club Southampton has announced that it has agreed a new main sponsorship with Aap3.

Aap3, a business and IT solutions provider based in Southampton, has signed a three-year deal which will see its logo and branding appear on the front of the first team’s home and away shirts from next season.

Additionally, company will also get exclusive branding at the club’s St Mary’s Stadium and on the official website and match programmes.

The partnership, which will expire in June 2014, is estimated to be worth US$300,000 per season for the club hoping to regain promotion to the Championship this season.

Scott Steedman, head of sales and marketing at Southampton FC, said: “I am delighted to be able to welcome Aap3 as the new main club sponsors of Southampton. We look forward to working with them very closely over the course of the next three years in order to maximise a return on their investment in the club.

“Over the last 18 months Aap3 has been a partner of the Saints Foundation, Southampton’s official community-based fundraising organisation, which has seen them invest funds into the foundation, donate software for the foundation’s website and encourage their employees to volunteer in several of the foundation’s programmes.”

Rod Jackson, president and chief executive of Aap3, said: “Southampton Football Club is ambitious, well run and socially aware of its responsibilities as a football club and a cornerstone of the community. We are also ambitious, I believe well run, with a team of professional players and definitely socially aware of our responsibilities.

“Ultimately, we strongly believe in the vision of where this club is heading and felt that being involved with such a project was too good an opportunity to miss out on. It is for these reasons and of course to improve our own brand recognition as Saints grow ever more successful on the field that we have taken on this sponsorship opportunity.”

Nicola Cortese, Southampton’s executive chairman, added: “Any sponsorship deal needs to represent good value to the club, but of equal importance are the principles of the company, which is why it gives me great pleasure to have secured this deal with Aap3.

“Choosing a headline sponsor for the club is no easy task. We need to be able to work side by side and trust in each other, and therefore it was important for us to find the right match when picking a partner. I am convinced that Aap3 are that company and their commitment to the club over the next three years will, I am sure, coincide with an exciting period for both of us.”