The Ryder Cup is becoming "the biggest one-off weekend in sport," marketing execs claimed as rivals the U.S. and Europe "join forces to offer new global commercial deals" worth in excess of £200M ($261.5M), according to Tom Morgan of the London TELEGRAPH. Ryder Cup Europe and the PGA "are breaking with tradition by combining efforts to lure new worldwide sponsors, a move which industry experts predict" will send profits "surging for golf's most popular showpiece." Record numbers "are due to follow the action" at Le Golf National, near Paris, starting next Friday, with 14 million Britons following this year's match, according to market research. In previous years, "sponsors have been put off big-money global deals because they have been forced to negotiate" with marketing execs on both sides of the Atlantic. However, this year, UPS was named the tournament's second "global partner" in its history. Ryder Cup Europe Commercial Dir Nathan Homer said, "Ryder Cup Europe and the PGA of America are working together to maximize the global commercial opportunities of The Ryder Cup by harmonizing the commercial programs on both sides of the Atlantic." There are currently 34 partners, suppliers and licensees of the Ryder Cup. The average price per sponsor for the European event is around £2M ($2.6M), while in the U.S., it is closer to £4M ($5.2M). Sports marketing firm Synergy Chief Strategy Officer Carsten Thode "has helped land a series of sponsorship deals with Europe and America." He said, "It's become a powerhouse of an event. From an audience appeal perspective, it is a unique event that transcends golf" (TELEGRAPH, 9/22).
