Matthew Glendinning

The Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) is close to a new four-year sponsorship deal which will take the competition to between $55m (€39.5m) and $60m in annual central sponsorship revenue.

The Bacardi drinks group is switching the emphasis of its marketing strategy from above-the-line advertising to sponsorship and experiential-based marketing in a move led by the return of Martini Racing to Formula One motorsport as title sponsor of the Williams F1 team.

This month’s issue of Sports Sponsorship Insider leads with a motorsports story of wider general interest – the return of Martini Racing to Formula One as title sponsor of the Williams F1 team.

Since the New Year, the Australian Stock Exchange-listed ANZ Banking Group has bolstered its portfolio of sponsorships in Australasia and Asia by extending sponsorship’s of the Australian Open tennis championship and ANZ Championship netball competition.

Japanese badminton, golf and tennis brand, Yonex, has renewed its title sponsorship of the All England Badminton Championships for seven years from 2015 to 2021 – a sponsorship that underscores Yonex’s positioning as the number one brand in badminton.

Aviva, the UK’s largest insurer with over 14 million customers and one of Europe’s leading providers of life and general insurance, will continue to take a portfolio approach to its sponsorship activity, using key assets in rugby union and football.

Jonathan Kerziger, IMG Global senior vice-president of sales and marketing, responsible for the sale of 2015 Rugby World Cup sponsorship inventory, expects next year’s tournament in England to break all previous records across sponsorship revenue, as well as broadcast and ticketing income.

Based in Malta and Guernsey, Betway is a regulated online gambling brand with over 1.8 million customers worldwide

The first sponsorship deal between a major US professional sports team with an online gambling company took place last month.

Irish sponsorships picked up two of the most prestigious awards at the ESA Excellence Awards last night, with Liberty Insurance winning the Business to Consumer category for its joint sponsorship of Gaelic Athletic Association sports, hurling and camogie, and Electric Ireland winning the gold medal in the ESA Best of Europe category for its sponsorship of Team Ireland in the London Olympics 2012.