Heineken "has extended its sponsorship of the Champions League, Europe's premier club football competition, for three years," according to Philip Blenkinsop of REUTERS. The Dutch beer maker, whose flagship Heineken brand has been a sponsor since '05, and UEFA said that "they had agreed" to a deal covering '15-18. Other current sponsors "are Ford, Gazprom, MasterCard, Sony's PlayStation and UniCredit, with HTC as another supplier." There are reports that UEFA "might look to add an airline as a seventh sponsor." Both parties "declined to disclose financial details." Sports Sponsorship Insider estimates the current partnership costs Heineken €50M-€55M ($68.9M-$75.7M) a year. The new deal "will increase the time Heineken is shown on LED boards around the ground to 13 minutes from a previous nine." The boards "will also be used in the future in group phase matches." Heineken will also have quicker access to images, "enhancing its social media such as a live Twitter feed linked to matches." It "will retain the right to take the trophy to football fans," with Buenos Aires, Lagos and Ho Chi Minh City -- major Heineken markets -- on its schedule early next year (REUTERS, 10/30).
