Europe

Formula One motor racing team Sauber has announced an extension to its sponsorship agreement with Mexican telecommunications group Telmex.

English Premiership rugby union team London Wasps has announced a sponsorship deal with packaging and recycling company DS Smith.

Wholesale food company REWE Dortmund has extended its partnership with German Bundesliga top division football club Borussia Dortmund.

Poland’s top football division, the Ekstraklasa, has agreed a two-year deal with German sportswear and equipment giant Adidas.

The European Sponsorship Association has named its shortlist for the ESA Professional Development Award for ESA member companies, which will be presented at the ESA Excellence Awards ceremony in London on January 29, 2014.

The sponsorship work of bike insurance company Bennetts is driven by their decision to move from an insurance provider to a biking brand, Hannah Squirrell, marketing and e-commerce director of Bennetts, told Sports Sponsorship Insider.

Sports Sponsorship Insider spoke to Chantelle Johnson, global head of marketing for the foreign exchange trading brand Alpari UK about Alpari's global sponsorship strategy.

UK bookmaker Coral, a division of online and land-based betting operator Gala Coral, has agreed a five-year extension to its title sponsorship of the Welsh Grand National annual horseracing event.

Mobile phone operator Bakcell has agreed a sponsorship deal with the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan governing body to become a sponsor of the country’s national football team.

UK car supermarket chain Motorpoint has extended its title sponsorship of the British Supersport Championship motorcycling series for the 2014 season.

English county cricket club Hampshire has announced a five-year extension to its stadium naming rights deal with insurance group Ageas UK.

Online gambling company bet-at-home.com has penned a two-year extension to its sponsorship agreement with German Bundesliga football club Schalke 04.

British Rowing, the UK rowing federation, is seeking to raise over £1m ($1.61m/€1.17m) per year by selling a top-tier Prinicipal Partner and up to four second-tier sponsors for the 2014 to 2016 period.

Chinese mobile phone brand Huawei is investing over €1.2m ($1.6m) per year in new sponsorship and marketing deals with six Italian Serie A football clubs, including AC Milan.

Watchmaker Rolex’s ten-year deal to continue as an Official Partner of the PGA European Tour will help the organisation recover from the blows its finances have taken because of the recessions in Europe, Tim Shaw, group sales director for the European Tour told Sports Sponsorship Insider this month.

This month’s issue of Sport Sponsorship Insider takes a long look at the sponsorship opportunities contained within the FIA Formula E Championship – the new electronic car racing series with a nine-figure central sponsorship target in its sights.