France

French winery Baron Philippe de Rothschild has enhanced its ties with the Ryder Cup by agreeing a partnership with the 2016 edition of the golf tournament, which takes place at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.

Values of main shirt sponsorship and kit supply deals for the 98 clubs in the Big Five European football leagues form the backbone of this report. It contains extensive analysis of this income, with charts and text looking at angles such as the biggest-spending industries, the spread of wealth between clubs, and more. Also includes: comprehensive listings of the sponsors for each club, in-depth case studies of sponsorship programmes of 10 clubs, and analysis of league central sponsorship programmes.

Italian crane and industrial-lifting products manufacturer Fassi Group has enhanced its ties with the Superbike World Championship (WSBK) by signing on as the main sponsor of the penultimate round of the 2015 season of the motorcycling series.

French mobile ice rink and equipment supplier Synerglace has struck a deal to become the first-ever national partner of Ligue Magnus, the country’s top division of ice hockey.

Online binary options trading company EZTrader has expanded its commercial portfolio in the European football market by securing a partnership with French Ligue 1 club Monaco.

German supermarket chain Lidl is using sponsorship of national sports properties in two major European markets to help reposition the brand from a hard discount distributor to a mass market brand.

Jean-Rene Bernaudeau’s Pro Continental cycling team will be sponsored by the electricity and gas supplier Direct Energie from 2016.

French Ligue 1 football club Toulouse has agreed a two-year sponsorship deal with diet and nutrition specialist Natur House.

French insurance group Matmut has signed a 10-year deal for the naming rights to the new home of Ligue 1 football club Girondins de Bordeaux.

The Ligue Nationale de Handball, which operates the sport’s top division in France, has unveiled a string of commercial partners.

Dentsu Aegis, the agency appointed late last month by the French football league to find a title sponsor, is facing a massive challenge. It must find a brand prepared to invest enough in the property to convince the clubs that it is worth their while to contribute content to a central deal.

The explosion of forex football deals reached France’s Ligue 1 for the first time last month when 24option.com agreed a two-year contract with Olympique Lyonnais.

Mobile phone manufacturer Yezz has extended its official partnership with French Ligue 1 football club Girondins de Bordeaux for two more years, from 2015-16 to 2016-17.

Mexican beer brand Tecate has confirmed a partnership with French Ligue 1 champion Paris Saint-Germain.

PVC windows and doors manufacturer Oknoplast has extended its sponsorship agreement with French Ligue 1 football club Lyon for a third consecutive season.

French telecommunications company SFR has agreed a long-term sponsorship agreement with the French Basketball Federation (FFBB) and French Basketball League (LNB).