Two of Australia's biggest sports "have been dealt a serious financial blow" after Vodafone axed its sponsorship of the Australian cricket team, the summer Test series and its V8 Supercar team "to save tens of millions of dollars," according to Simon Canning of THE AUSTRALIAN. The "shock announcement that the mobile phone network would pull out of sponsorships and divert the funding to customer service and improving its network" came Thursday. Vodafone has been "a key cricket sponsor" for more than a decade, first through the parent company's Orange and 3 brands and then under the Vodafone banner when the companies merged in '09. The deal was "worth between $10-$15M" to Cricket Australia each year. The company has also been funding Australia's most successful V8 Supercar team, TeamVodafone, which won three Bathurst titles and three V8 Supercar championships during its six-year-sponsorship (THE AUSTRALIAN, 6/8). In Sydney, Blake & Rakic report the Cricket Association "is confident it can secure another sponsor in an Ashes season." CA's Exec GM Commercial Mike McKenna said the Australian team playing at home "was possibly the most valuable sports sponsorship asset" in Australia. McKenna: ''Our research shows the Australian public loves Test cricket, regards cricket as the sound of summer and that interest in cricket goes through the roof when the traditional enemy, England, tours this country." Triple 8 boss Roland Dane said the supercars operation "was informed last year" its deal would not be renewed. Dane: "It doesn't come as a shock to us, I've known about it for quite a while and have anticipated it for some time." Dane refused to speculate on who would replace Vodafone, but "gossip suggests energy drink company Monster is in the running" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 6/8).
