FC Barcelona announced Qatar Airways will become the team's jersey sponsor from July 1 through June '16. It will mark the first commercial deal on the Barcelona jersey. The deal is for six years and €170M ($221M) (MARCA, 3/4). ... Brazilian football club Portuguesa has agreed to a partnership with Volkswagen. As part of the agreement, the auto manufacturer will provide the club with a new bus (MAQUINA DO ESPORTE, 3/3). ... Bundesliga Basketball (BBL) club Ratiopharm Ulm "has extended its sponsorship deal with motor oil company Liqui Moly for another year." Liqui Moly "will increase its involvement in the club." However, both parties "did not release any further details on the extension" (SÜDWEST PRESSE, 3/2). ... Eurosport Group and RCS Sport have lengthened their existing partnership for an additional four years, "with extended and upgraded live production and broadcasting in HD." IMG Media brokered the terms of the deal, which "includes all 70 territories covered by Eurosport in Europe and Asia-Pacific region" and involves '13-16 TV and digital rights for the Giro d'Italia as well as five other major Italian cycling races: Milan - Sanremo, the Giro di Lombardia, Tirreno-Adriatico, Strade Bianche and Roma Maxima (RAPID TV NEWS, 3/4). ... Asia Racing Team and Team BetterLife has "agreed to extend the partnership" into '13. Team BetterLife is the racing arm of BetterLife Group (ISPORTCONNECT, 3/3). ... Office furniture manufacturer PALMBERG + Service GmbH has extended its contract with Infront Sports & Media, marketing partner to third division Football Club Hansa Rostock, ahead of time and the company will receive comprehensive advertising space in the DKB-Arena (Infront). ... Opel is the new main club sponsors of Dutch Eredivisie club Feyenoord. A four year agreement has been reached for the Opel logo "to be carried on Feyenoord shirts from 2013-17." The partnership "signals an extension of a long-running relationship which dates back almost 30 years to when Opel was main club sponsor from 1984-89" (ISPORTCONNECT, 3/4).
