North America

Carmaker Mercedes-Benz, watchmaker Rolex and IT company IBM are the most prolific sponsors among the brands that sponsor golf’s four major tournaments. Each has a deal with more than one Major. The 21 main sponsorship positions across the four tournaments are taken up by 16 different brands.

Beverages group Dr Pepper Snapple has entered into a sponsorship agreement with Major League Baseball franchise the San Francisco Giants.

United Airlines and Citrix, a mobile services company, have secured deals with the Santa Clara Stadium Authority and the San Francisco 49ers to become commercial partners of the NFL American football franchise’s new stadium.

Major League Baseball (MLB) has entered into a partnership with consumer electronics company iON America.

Bedding provider Tempur-Pedic has become an official sponsor of golf’s PGA Tour.

Florida-based elite sports training institute IMG Academy has reached a deal to become the title sponsor of the Junior World Golf Championships from 2015.

Private aviation company Sentient Jet has agreed a multi-year deal to become the title sponsor of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile grade one thoroughbred race, along with the exclusive private aviation partner of the Breeders’ Cup US horse racing showpiece.

North American stock car racing series Nascar has agreed a multi-year extension to its partnership with US signalling devices manufacturer Whelen Engineering.

Regional banking group KeyBank has signed a three-year extension to its sponsorship of Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners.

California-based cloud-connected security and storage solutions company Barracuda Networks has agreed a four-year deal to become the title sponsor of the Reno-Tahoe Open PGA Tour golf event.

Canada-based airline Canadian North has agreed to become an official partner of the Canadian Football League.

NHL ice hockey team Toronto Maple Leafs have reached a sponsorship agreement with the Canadian subsidiary of Korean tyre manufacturer Hankook Tire.

Credit union TDECU has sealed a 10-year stadium naming rights deal worth $15m (€11m) with the University of Houston for its new American football stadium.

NFL American football team Seattle Seahawks has signed a three-year sponsorship deal with Washington-based retail services provider Outerwall.

UCI ProTour cycling team Garmin-Sharp has said it will change its naming sponsor arrangements in 2015.

Korean multinational electronics firm Samsung has agreed a global partnership with bicycle manufacturer Trek Bicycle and its UCI ProTour cycling team Trek Factory Racing that will run through 2015.

NBA basketball team Orlando Magic has signed a multi-year renewal to its partnership with private aviation company Sentient Jet.

Global resources company BHP Billiton has agreed to become the new main sponsor of US Major League Soccer team Houston Dynamo.