Watchmaker Hublot said that Alex Ferguson’s retirement as EPL club Manchester United manager "contributed to its decision to end five years sponsoring" the club, according to Paul Jarvis of BLOOMBERG NEWS. Hublot Chair Jean-Claude Biver said, "We had a certain disappointment when I heard that Sir Alex was going to retire. That fact that Sir Alex was going to put a certain distance between him and Manchester, and still be involved but not anymore at the same level of command, was an element that helped us to make a change." Biver said that the "arrival of several new sponsors at ManU was another reason behind Hublot’s decision not to renew its association." Pepsi last month "joined a list of more than 30 sponsors of the club, following last year's addition of Chevrolet." Biver: "When a new partner is coming in, sometimes they might not have the same coherence." He noted that Hublot has "no regrets over the partnership with Manchester United, which more than paid for itself in advertising and sales." Biver: "Manchester United was a golden contract for us. It was really one of the best contracts I ever did." Jarvis noted ManU has signed a three-year partnership with Bulova to replace Hublot as its official timekeeper (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 8/15).
THE COLOUR AND THE SHAPE: In London, Tom Dutton reported EPL club Tottenham Hotspur fans have taken to social media to "criticise the colour of AIA’s logo, after the club announced the insurance firm will sponsor this season’s cup shirts." The deal "will see the company's red insignia stand in for" EPL jersey sponsor HP during Europa League, FA Cup and Capital One Cup matches. Early responses suggest that the shirt has "gone down badly with supporters." AIA's partnership with Tottenham "represents the end of a three-year relationship with Investec," which has sponsored the cup shirt since '10 (London EVENING STANDARD, 8/15).
