One of English football's "greatest ever underdog success stories is providing plenty of riches for the club, sponsors and fans alike," according to Arvind Hickman of AD NEWS. It is not "just the handful of lucky punters that put a wager on Leicester winning at the start of the season who stand to make a windfall." For the club's major sponsors, the benefits "are obvious -- much greater exposure than they could have imagined." The TV audience for Premier League games is 4.7 billion. Travel retail group King Power is Leicester's naming rights and shirt sponsor. Throughout the season, 64% of all King Power digital content engagement "was down to to its relationship with Leicester City," according to Amobee Brand Intelligence data. Marketing agency Gemba CEO Rob Mills said, "There will be tactical opportunities to up sell in some sponsorship categories, but the large sustainable lifts will only come when the market is confident that the improved performance is sustainable." Mills said that a "major draw" for Leicester's sponsors will be qualification to Europe's premier competition -- the Champions League -- which will provide "at least one year increased global exposure." He added, "The key challenge for Leicester City is to use the additional funds available and the prestige gained from this year’s performance to build a sustainable model" (AD NEWS, 5/3).
SETTING THE STAGE: THE DRUM's Seb Joseph wrote Leicester's "unexpected feat" encapsulates why the tournament’s dealmakers "are now redoubling efforts to get brands to buy into that uncertainty." It is an ending "befitting of a Hollywood underdog story," one that could not have "come at a better time" for the EPL's commercial team. Barclays’ presence "will change from next season, when the bank will no longer be the league’s main sponsor, instead replaced by several brands." The evolved model provides the Premier League with a "clean brand." Marketers are encouraged to "buy into the league’s brand now rather than just see it as a media buy, a tactic in part compounded by the fact that it now has less inventory to broker." A "big chunk" of the media Barclays owned "will be handed back to the clubs next season," meaning there is "more onus on the rights owner to be more flexible when working with partners." Next season is a "perfect storm" for a sponsor to be involved in the league, according to sponsorship experts. There is "the drama" of whether Leicester City will defend its league crown, "the exalted arrival of Pep Guardiola as well as the promise of live-streaming," all of which will "swell the value of the brand as it continues to bolster its global appeal." Pitch Business Development Dir Paul McCormick said, "You have an underdog success story, the best manager in the world arriving, multi-channel consumption, biggest-ever TV deal in place and a league which will be contested by up to eight teams, meaning every game matters" (THE DRUM, 5/2).
