Carlsberg has “placed its allegiance” with EPL club Arsenal, signing on as the exclusive beer provider at Emirates Stadium after the FA Cup signed rival Budweiser as sponsor in June, according to Anna White of the GUARDIAN. Carlsberg is the official beer of the England men's soccer team, but a source said that the brewer “saw the relationship go flat when the FA agreed [to] a three-year deal that changed the nature of its contract with the footballing organisation.” The source said, "The main issue for Carlsberg is that its lost industry exclusivity of the England football brand and events." Pints of Carlsberg “will still be poured at Wembley, but not on FA cup match days -- when Budweiser will be the only lager on offer.” The new Arsenal-Carlsberg partnership “starts this season,” and grants the brewery “exclusive marketing rights.” Key components of the deal include “use of player imagery in advertising and LED perimeter board advertising at all matches.” Carlsberg “will be exclusively sold within the Emirates Stadium.” It will also be “put on a 'Lounge' -- extending already prominent corporate hospitality facilities at Arsenal's home ground” (GUARDIAN, 8/13). MARKETING WEEK’s Lara O’Reilly noted Carlsberg replaces Heineken, which “used to supply beer for the stadium -- but did not have any marketing or sponsorship rights -- as the club’s pouring partner.” Carlsberg will “focus on engaging” with Arsenal’s “rapidly growing fanbase in Asia as it looks to become the fastest growing global beer company” (MARKETINGWEEK.co.uk, 8/12).
AMERICAN BEAUTY: SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Tripp Mickle examines the leadership of the franchise under veteran sports execs Ivan Gazidis and Tom Fox. When the two “left for the U.K. two years ago to run the business side of Arsenal ... the presumption by many in the U.S. was that their American-style management would immediately boost the business to an even higher level. The results so far are mixed” (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 8/15 issue).
