Aviva to Drop UK Athletics Sponsorship

Insurance giant, Aviva is expected not to renew it’s sponsorship of UK Athletics when it’s agreement ends in December.

Aviva has been the title sponsor of the British athletics team as well as the six domestic televised meetings since 1999.

But according to the Telegraph, it is “very unlikely” that the company will be continuing its relationship because of a change in the way UK Athletics is selling its sponsorship rights from 2013 onwards.

UK Athletics have adopted a new system whereby they obtain multiple commercial partners instead of a single backer. The governing body beleives this approach will bring in further revenue even though they already receive biggest sports sponsorship deal in Britain outside football of £50 million.

UK Athletics chief executive Niels de Vos has held talks with a number of blue chip comapnies over possible partnerships which has been strenghthened by the successful staging of the Olympics and London winning the bid to host the 2017 Athletics World Championships.