The FA Cup "is still without a sponsor, despite the competition -- open to everyone from the top teams down to village pub clubs who play football in their spare time -- kicking off back in August," according to Lara O'Reilly of BUSINESS INSIDER. Previous title sponsor Budweiser pulled out from its £9M ($14M)-a-year deal last season and the FA "has had no luck in finding a replacement." The FA "is still understood to be looking for a partner" for '14-15 and has set an asking price of up to £10M ($15M) per season. However, several sponsorship industry insiders said that "it is unlikely the competition will pick up a new sponsor this season -- and that it will probably struggle in the seasons to come."
There are a number of reasons why The FA Cup has "lost its luster." Repucom UK Managing Dir Jon Stainer: "There’s no doubt the FA Cup is still the competition for the masses, that celebrates underdogs and inclusively, but overshadowed by other competitions." Unlike the League Cup competition, in which brands become a title sponsor, FA Cup sponsors "are only listed as the 'presenting partner.'" Synergy CEO Tim Crow: "The way the FA Cup has been marketed and packaged by the FA misses a trick. ‘Presented by’ is a bit clunky and makes it seem more commercial and even American in a way." Crow "also believes the FA Cup is marketed to brands in a way that it only appears to become a hot property once the third round takes place in January." All sponsorship experts agreed that there is still a chance for the FA Cup to "pick itself back up and become a more attractive marketing property" (BUSINESS INSIDER, 2/2).
