The Saudi professional football league has signed a three-year sponsorship deal with MasterCard for it to become the official card of the league from the 2010-11 season.

The deal sees MasterCard team up with an Arab Asian football league for the first time, signalling its intent to be involved in football on a global scale. MasterCard will also be the exclusive financial services sponsor to the Zain League.

CEO of the Saudi Professional League Commission (SPLC), Mohamed Al-Newaser, said: “This is a strategic collaboration with MasterCard, which is renowned for its international football commitment and long standing association with some of the world’s most famous football events including the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and CONCACAF Cup.

“This sponsorship agreement demonstrates the attractiveness of the Saudi League to a leading multinational company like MasterCard.”

General Manager Middle East, MasterCard Worldwide, Raghu Malhotra, added: “MasterCard understands that football is a huge passion for the people of Saudi an we are therefore looking forward to working closely with the League as they continue to drive and enhance the football experience for Saudi football fans.”

 

French Ligue 1 football side Saint-Etienne has signed a long-term commercial partnership deal with sports marketing agency Sportfive, it has been announced.

Sportfive has been handed the responsibility of sponsorship and marketing activities, public relations and media support.

Sportfive will also be assisting the club in maximising the commercial possibilities in relation to the proposed development of the side’s stadium, Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. Plans for redevelopment were approved a year ago, with the stadium due to be expanded from a capacity of 35,000 to 41,000, in time for the 2016 European Championships.

Sportfive director general, Christophe Bouchet, said: “This new partnership with the club will build on the strategy that has been in place since 2007. Sportfive will accompany Saint-Etienne in the renovation of Geoffroy-Guichard and it will benefit from our years of experience in this field.”

President of the club’s administrative council, Bernard Caiazo, added: “Saint-Etienne is very honoured to link up with Sportfive to continue to develop our commercial activity and we are happy to have, on top of this, an expert in exploiting (the commercial possibilities of) stadia, with reference to the impending transformation of Geoffroy-Guichard.”

England footballer David Beckham is due to take part in a 90 minute online interview as the next part of Yahoo!’s football-based campaign.

Beckham, who is a brand ambassador for Yahoo!, will answer questions from fans simultaneously by video from 20 countries on 14 July.

Yahoo! users are being encouraged to submit questions for Beckham on ‘Yahoo! Answers’, Yahoo! Mail, Beckham’s Facebook page, the Yahoo! World Football Facebook page and Twitter.

Fans from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Canada, USA, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, India and Dubai will be involved in the interview.

Earlier this month, Beckham signed a deal to be Yahoo!’s global sports ambassador for the World Cup and the 2010-11 football season.

Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur is said to be considering signing separate shirt sponsorship deals for its different competitions next season.

The club has not yet been able to attract offers matching the $US15 million deal it is hoping to get to replace the recently-expired deal with Mansion, ed the online poker and casino site, vialis 40mg worth an annual US$12 million.

And it has now been reported that Chairman Daniel Levy is seriously considering taking on a different sponsor for each of the four competitions Spurs will be competing in next season, the Premier League, the Champions League, the FA Cup and the League Cup.

A Spurs spokesman said: “We are working hard to deliver international partnerships for the club, improved operations and choice for the fans. Increased commercial deals will translate into investment in all areas of the club – on and off the pitch.”

The club hopes an agreement will be reached in the next few weeks, but if not, there is a chance the team could start the new season without a shirt sponsor.

Emirates has announced its sponsorship of the European team captain, medstore Colin Montgomerie, at Ryder Cup 2010.

The official airline and partner of the cup revealed its plans on the eve of the BMW International Open in Munch, which marks the 100 days to the start of the cup in October on the Twenty Ten Course at Celtic Manor in Wales.

Montgomerie, who has played in five winning Ryder Cup Teams, is currently playing in Munich as he prepares for his role as European captain later this year.

He said: “I am delighted with my new association with Emirates and I am very much looking forward to working with them and supporting their extensive global golf portfolio. Like Emirates, I am working hard to prepare for the 2010 Ryder Cup.”

Along with the Ryder Cup and BMW International Open, Emirates will be the official airline of the 13 other tournments in 2010, with nine of them on the European Tour international schedule.

Marice Flanagan, executive vice-chairman, Emirates Airline & Group said: We are very much looking forward to the Ryder Cup and everyone at Emirates is gearing up for this important tournament. We are excited at the opportunities available to us and our customers by sponsoring such a high-profile and elite golfer as Colin.”

A recent poll by auditors Global Research has shown the British public are unsure about which companies are sponsoring this summer’s FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

The research, which was conducted the day before the tournament began on 11 June, shows the 1,005 polled across Great Britain struggled to correctly identify eight sponsors and partners (Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Adidas, Sony, Visa, Budweiser, Emirates and Hyundai) of the event from a list of well known brands.

Coca-Cola was the only sponsor to be correctly identified by more than half of those polled (57 per cent), while Hyundai by recognised by the least (ten per cent).

Those polled were also sceptical over the companies’ motives, with 81 per cent believing the reason to be, “to get their company name or logo on TV”, while 50 per cent thought it was “to sell more of their products within South Africa”.

Echo’s Group CEO, Sandra Macleod, said: “These findings show that, as the tournament gets underway, sponsors have much work to do to raise awareness of their role in the World Cup, and to convince the British public that they are motivated by a genuine concern for the host nation and for football and its supporters, as much as by commercial gains.

“Should confusion in these areas continue as the World Cup unfolds, sponsors will not realise the brand and reputation benefits that sponsorship should bring.”

Energy company E.ON has announced it is extending its deal to sponsor the FA Cup for another year, despite previously announcing an end to its support.

E.ON has sponsored the company for the past four years, and the extended deal will see the company continue its involvement and commitment to investing in all levels of the game.

The one-year extension will see E.ON sponsor the FA Cup, the FA Women’s Cup, the FA Youth Cup, as well as continuing to be an FA Schools Partner.

Sponsorship Promotions Executive at E.ON, Alex Howells, said: “Following four very successful season as FA Cup sponsor, we can today announce that we have agreed a one-year extension to our sponsorship of the FA Cup.

“It’s also a deal that works for both parties. Our sponsoring of the FA Cup has played a key part in establishing the E.ON business within the UK and we are looking forward to continuing our relationship with the FA from the very first kick next season.”