Dubai-based Emirates Airline is “set to sign a shirt sponsorship deal" with La Liga club Real Madrid worth up to $39.3M a year in the "latest high profile sports investment by the Middle East carrier,” according to a source cited by Rory Jones of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. The source said that the deal is “expected to be signed in the next three to four weeks and the Emirates logo will appear" on Real Madrid's shirts "for a duration of between four and six years.” Emirates has an agreement with the team to “advertise on its sign boards at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, as well as some hospitality rights.” The airline also is the shirt sponsor for EPL club Arsenal, Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and Serie A club AC Milan. The source said that the sponsorship of Real Madrid's shirts “wouldn't affect the current deals with other teams around Europe” (WSJ.com, 4/14). ARABIANBUSINESS.com’s Daniel Shane reported the deal would “become one of the most expensive sponsorship packages in football history.” The Qatar Foundation pays nearly $40M yearly to sponsor La Liga club FC Barcelona, “although their logo will be replaced by Qatar Airways from next season.” Bundesliga club Bayern Munich “receives about" $35M annually from its deal with Deutsche Telekom, while EPL club Manchester United’s agreement with General Motors will be worth an estimated $60-70M annually (ARABIANBUSINESS.com, 4/14). Real Madrid's current shirt deal with gambling site bwin expires after this season. During a UEFA Champions League match last week in Turkey, Real Madrid actually had to go without bwin on its jerseys since the country has strict anti-gambling laws. Meanwhile, bwin has reportedly agreed to a shirt deal with La Liga club Atletico Madrid and is close to replacing BBVA bank in a league-wide sponsorship of the Spanish Professional Football League, which administers La Liga (THE DAILY).
