Sponsorship the key to cycling data rights monetisation

South African technology company Dimension Data has bolstered its presence in professional cycling in a title deal with the team currently known as MTN-Qhubeka.

South-Africa based IT solutions and services provider, Dimension Data, this month, struck its biggest sponsorship to date when it signed a five-year Official Technology Partner deal, from 2015 to 2019, with Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), owners of the Tour de France and other cycling events.

Operating budgets for the professional cycling teams that compete on the UCI World Tour average out at between €12m to €15m with teams typically funding much of that total from title sponsors or co-title sponsors.