Football League Ends Coca-Cola Deal, Looking For New Sponsor
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Coca-Cola Has Been Title Sponsor Of The
English Football League Since '04 |
The English Football League, which represents the three tiers of British soccer directly below the EPL, is "looking for a new title sponsor after it rejected an extension with current sponsor Coca-Cola," according to James Quilter of BRAND REPUBLIC. Coca-Cola Great Britain "confirmed it would no longer be title sponsor of the league after the current deal ends at the end of this season." Coca-Cola said that it was "hopeful it would remain involved with the league in some form and is planning to concentrate on its sponsorship of the World Cup and 2012 Olympics." Coca-Cola has been title sponsor of the league since '04. The company "denied it was diverting its UK sponsorship funds away from football as it builds up for the 2012 Olympic Games." Coca-Cola's deal with the league was worth around $9.7M annually (BRANDREPUBLIC.com, 9/30). In London, Paul Kelso writes the deal was "hailed as one of the most successful in recent sports sponsorship," but after five years there is a "feeling that the deal has run its course and that other projects, including the World Cup sponsorship, have become higher priorities." The Football League is "convinced that its new broadcast deal, which includes 10 matches live on the BBC along with a weekly highlights show, will enable it to attract more money than Coca-Cola offered." The Football League is "understood to have received expressions of interest from several potential partners and executives are confident that they will be able to attract a sponsor of a similar calibre from next season" (TELEGRAPH.co.uk, 9/30).
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