Sponsorship opportunities are "coming up for grabs on the Six Nations and could offer an opportunity for Middle Eastern brands," according to Steve Menary of THE NATIONAL. The tournament, which kicks off on Saturday, is "one of sport's biggest brands and sponsorship deals for the Six Nations, including a title sponsorship with Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), all come to an end after this year's event." With RBS "stepping out," advertisers from the Gulf have a chance to use the Six Nations to "connect with a growing sport in the region and with the expat community." Jon Long, managing director of Nielsen Sports’ Mena division covering the Middle East, said, "The Six Nations, and rugby to a greater extent are very much a staple part of the sports calendar here in the Middle East. ... The local scene [in the UAE] is still dominated by participants from leading rugby nations such as the U.K., France, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, but this is an attractive audience for brands." The tournament will be screened in the Gulf with English-language commentary by beIN Sports, while TV5 Monde will broadcast games in French. IMR Sports Marketing Analyst Simon Rines said, "Rugby has an affluent audience demographic which makes it ideal for financial services companies, luxury car makers, airlines" (THE NATIONAL, 2/1).
