England's FA Close To Deal With Mars, Continuing Sponsor Success

England's FA reportedly is "close to unveiling Mars as a major new sponsor and is confident of matching or exceeding the value of its existing deals when they are renegotiated later this year," according to Owen Gibson of the Manchester GUARDIAN. The deal is said to involve a "link-up with the World Cup 2018 bid, with Mars becoming the first commercial partner to back the campaign." Sources noted that the deal would be "keeping with the company's recent efforts to link its products with a healthy lifestyle." Meanwhile, the FA also is "close to renewing with Nationwide as the main sponsor" of the England men's national team, just after announcing that brewer Carlsberg had "re-signed as a partner" through '14. Umbro already has agreed to "renew as part of a new kit deal signed in 2007," and the FA is "confident that McDonald's and Tesco will overcome uncertainties about overlap to also sign on the dotted line." The organization also is set to "sign a deal with a betting partner for the first time." Gibson notes the situation with National Express is "more complex given the uncertainty about its future owner but executives are said to be keen to renew," which would leave FA Cup sponsor E.ON as the "only one of six major sponsors from 2006 to 2010 to pull out" (Manchester GUARDIAN, 9/11).