{"id":237902,"date":"2018-05-20T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-05-20T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/foreign-sponsors\/"},"modified":"2024-08-09T03:16:07","modified_gmt":"2024-08-09T01:16:07","slug":"foreign-sponsors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/en\/blog\/foreign-sponsors\/","title":{"rendered":"Why are foreign sponsors flooding European sports?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In order to understand the enormous power of sport sponsorship, and its effectiveness for businesses all over the world, a look at the Premier League<\/strong> clubs\u2019 kit deals could be enough. Out of the 20 teams composing the richest football Championship in the world, only 4 are actually firms from the UK<\/strong> (Liverpool\u2019s Standard Chartered, Southampton\u2019s FC Virgin Media, Stoke City\u2019s Bet365 and Watford\u2019s FX Pro). There could be debate whether Newcastle United\u2019s Fun88 and Swansea\u2019s Letou should make this list, but, technically, they\u2019re from the Isle Of Man.<\/span><\/p>\n

More important than that, however, is the count of the non-European sponsors in the Premier League: 12. Take American powerhouses Chevrolet and American Express off the list and you\u2019re left with 10 major companies from Asia and the Middle East. <\/span><\/p>\n

The same applies to other major series and championships around Europe<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

While in La Liga<\/strong> the Japanese giant Rakuten and Emirati airline FlyEmirates grace the tops of FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, other Asian car-industry behemoths such as Dacia, Hyundai, and Suzuki make their appearances on the kits of several Italian and French squads<\/strong>. The same story, of course, goes for Formula 1<\/strong> where the logos of Petronas, Weichai and Singha and many more are sported on the liveries of Mercedes AMG<\/strong> and Ferrari.<\/strong> The list is, potentially, infinite.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"foreign<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

So why are foreign sponsors flooding European sports?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

In a recent CNBC interview<\/strong>, Tom Glick, Chief Commercial Officer at City Football Group<\/strong>, the parent company at top-of-the-League club Manchester City<\/strong>, described sports as \u201cthe ultimate reality TV\u201d<\/strong>. Glick said: \u201cI think there’s been a recognition that sports works. Not only is it the ultimate reality TV but it’s a great way to engage a consumer or to engage somebody that’s running a business\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

European Championships<\/strong> and series, such as the Premier League<\/strong>, the Bundesliga,<\/strong> the Serie A<\/strong> and the MotoGP Championship<\/strong>, or with a very strong European heritage such as Formula 1<\/strong>, still represent the pinnacle of sporting entertainment for a large part of the globe and an excellent business opportunity for Middle East<\/strong> and Asian<\/strong> brands willing to go global.<\/span><\/p>\n

Moreover, Europe<\/strong> is still one of the main target markets for a lot of foreign sponsors<\/strong> and brands. England, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and many more are strong economies with developed industries and high-spending customers and clients: it\u2019s therefore no surprise that firms and companies from the Far East or the Americas are trying to land deals in the Old Continent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not only that, though. There\u2019s something more in European sports that appeals to the fantasy and the desire of brands and sponsors from outside the EU. What is foreign sponsors are therefore seeking in our sport? It\u2019s hard to answer without naming a number of mixed reasons, that have a lot to do with the legacy, the tradition and the cultural power of european sports.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimately, foreign sponsors are strongly attracted by how deeply rooted in our culture and heritage: it\u2019s more than just fandom or sympathy and it\u2019s clearly defining our identities and our origin. To get a clearer picture, I recommend the superb Netflix docu-series \u201cSunderland \u2019til I die<\/strong>\u201d, based on the Sunderland Association Football Club and its relegation in the second and then third tier of English Football. It\u2019s hard to describe the incredible bond between the citizens of Sunderland and their team, their high spirits when the team finally wins and the sense of doom and gloom over the town when the squad eventually encounters defeat.<\/p>\n

Benefits<\/h2>\n

Should we break down a list of unique benefits, these could be:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n