The NASL N.Y. Cosmos have signed a three-year renewal with Emirates to continue as its jersey sponsor. Emirates, which also sponsors AC Milan, Real Madrid and Arsenal and signed its first MLB sponsorship with the Dodgers earlier this year, has been the jersey sponsor of the Cosmos since they re-entered NASL in ’13. In addition to having its logo appear on both game and training kits, Emirates will receive on- and off-field signage and branding, as well as commercials on ONE World Sports, which broadcasts all of the Cosmos' games. It will also return as the presenting sponsor of the Cosmos’ amateur soccer tournament, known as the Cosmos Copa. Emirates Divisional Senior VP/Corporate Communications, Marketing & Brand Boutros Boutros said that the airline views the deal as an extension of the ones it has with other top European clubs, and provides a solid platform to build around in N.Y., which was its first U.S. destination in '04. Boutros noted that while Emirates’ sponsorship strategy is more about brand awareness than specific activations, the partnership with the Cosmos “ticks all the boxes in terms of being a global name,” and has provided the company with a good return on its investment thus far. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Cosmos Chair Seamus O’Brien said that the deal is comparable to other soccer jersey sponsorship deals in North America. The previous deal was valued at more than $1M per season, and this deal exceeds that, according to a source.
