Matthew Glendinning

US mobile telecoms operator Verizon Wireless has agreed to pay $12m (€8.6m) per year for the title sponsorship and ‘activation and media’ rights to the IndyCar Series, the North American open-wheel motor racing championship.

Day two at the IEG Conference in Chicago began with an opening address from Less Ukman, founder and chief insights officer of IEG.

Deals with sportswear company adidas and tyre maker Continental in February are understood to have taken Uefa to a new high in sponsorship revenue for the inaugural commercial cycle of its newly rebranded European Qualifiers, from 2014-15 to 2017-18.

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.