La Liga side Valencia on Thursday announced that it appointed Singapore-based sports marketing firm Dentsu Sports Asia (DSA) as its strategic partner. The two-year partnership will see DSA provide the Spanish football club with marketing, branding, commercial and sponsorship services. The club hopes to expand its presence in Asia after Singaporean businessman Peter Lim became its owner in '14 (GOAL, 10/1). ... Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) club Bayern Munich has signed a deal with beer brand Paulaner until '18 (Bayern Munich). ... London-based eSports organization Fnatic announced a new partnership with Asian betting and poker site Dafabet. The site will become headline sponsor for all of Fnatic's eSports teams. The deal will also provide content and promotion of Dafabet's upcoming editorial portal for eSports (MCV, 10/1). ... Portuguese football club Porto named BuzzTrade its first online trading partner. The financial trading platform signed a two-year deal with the club "that includes branding around the Estádio do Dragão, digital exposure, exclusive image rights and player access, and hospitality." Financial terms of the agreement, which was brokered by Entourage Sports and Entertainment, have not been disclosed (SOCCEREX, 10/1). ... Rugby Europe appointed sport and entertainment agency Generate to develop and implement a long-term commercial and marketing strategy. The strategy will look to develop understanding and increase visibility of Rugby Europe and its upgraded tournament program (Rugby Europe). ... Renewable materials company Stora Enso was named the presenting sponsor of the 2017 Int'l Ski Federation (FIS) Nordic World Ski Championships in Lahiti, Finland. The company will build on its experience from the '15 event in Falun, Sweden, where, as a partner, it contributed to the sustainability of the event (FIS).
BAKU PARTNERS WITH KHP: The promoters of F1's 2016 Baku European Grand Prix announced a partnership with motorsports marketing agency KHP Consulting. KHP will work with Baku GP's marketing, public relations, commercial and guest services departments to develop programs to promote a positive experience for teams, drivers and F1 fans when they visit the Azerbaijani capital next summer (KHP). ... EPL side Stoke City named local electrical engineering company Curry and Bevans Ltd. an associate partner (Stoke City). ... Erreà Sport announced it signed a three-year agreement with Sparkasse-Schülerliga, the Austrian Ministry of Sport, to supply sportswear for all events organized by the ministry for the nation's main schools. Erreà takes over from Puma, which has been collaborating with the ministry for around 40 years (Erreà Sport). ... United Airlines was named the official airline of Champions Tennis, which will take place at London's Royal Albert Hall from Dec. 2-6. The airline will brand hospitality boxes in its corporate colors and run on-court competitions for fans to win flights (Champions Tennis).
CASTLE BEER BECOMES TITLE SPONSOR: BGI Ethiopia became the title sponsor of the Ethiopian Premier League. BGI will sponsor the league for the next two years under its Castle Beer brand. The deal is reportedly worth $350,000 per year and will see the top flight named the Castle Ethiopia Premier League (ETHIOSPORTS, 9/30). ... Will and Alex Davison's Erebus Motorsport Mercedes will carry oil company Penrite's backing in the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000. The team unveiled a livery for the race that features the Melbourne-based company's black, red and gold colors. Penrite is set to become a minor sponsor of the team post-Bathurst, replacing Repsol as the squad’s lubricants partner in a deal that will stretch throughout '16 (SPEED CAFE, 10/1).
