F1 Inks Emirates To Five-Year Branding Deal; Ecclestone Suggests Team Could Be Next

F1 today announced a five-year deal with Emirates in which the airline will serve as a Global Partner of the racing series. Emirates' branding starting with the March 22-24 Malaysian Grand Prix will be displayed on F1 circuit bridges, ground signs and the F1 Paddock Club (F1). The FINANCIAL TIMES’ Kerr & Blitz reported the deal is “worth about" $200M (all figures U.S.), making it “one of the biggest in motorsport.” Emirates “last dabbled" in F1 in ‘06 when it “sponsored the McLaren racing team, but the sponsorship lasted a year.” It is “understood that under the terms of the agreement its livery will not be on display at the Abu Dhabi and Bahrain Grand Prix” (FINANCIAL TIMES, 2/5). REUTERS' Praveen Menon writes Emirates has until “now focused on” soccer, but is trying to "outdo regional rivals for global prominence." Emirates Chair & CEO Sheikh Ahmed said that the airline's “total sports sponsorship" now stood at $272.3M this year. F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone said it would now be "the natural thing to do" for Emirates to launch an F1 racing team (REUTERS, 2/5). The AP’s Michael Casey writes the deal for Emirates "is just the latest sponsorship deal involving a major sport.” It already is a FIFA official partner and "recently signed a five-year deal with the ATP which begins this year.” The F1 deal also “comes days after [a] new five-year shirt sponsorship deal” with Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain, the “big-spending French soccer team that signed David Beckham” (AP, 2/5).

SELECT EMIRATES AIRLINE SPONSORSHIPS
TEAM/LEAGUE/EVENT	TYPE	SPORT
Arsenal FC	Stadium naming rights, jersey sponsor	Soccer
ATP World Tour	Platinum partner, title sponsor of ATP Rankings	Tennis
NBA	In China	Basketball
Texans	Suite sponsor	Football
Emirates Australian Open	Title sponsor	Golf
Breeders' Cup	Sponsor	Horse racing
Dubai World Cup	Sponsor	Horse racing
Paris Saint-Germain	Jersey sponsor	Soccer
Real Madrid	Sponsor	Soccer
AC Milan	Sponsor	Soccer
Emirates Airline U.S. Open Series	Title sponsor	Tennis