Boots signs landmark deal for women’s football in ‘home nations’ and Ireland

Boots, the UK’s largest pharmacy-led health and beauty retail store chain, has agreed deals with the football associations of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland to sponsor their respective women’s national teams.

Terms of the multi-year deal were not disclosed, but the BBC said it will be worth at least £1m (€1.16m/$1.3m) over three years.

The partnership, brokered by Mediacom Sport & Entertainment, marks the first time any brand or retailer has sponsored all five FA women’s national teams.

Over the next three years, Boots will use football as a vehicle to help champion the right of women to feel good in the lead up to the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup in France, for which England and Scotland have qualified, and the 2021 Uefa Women’s European Championships, which will be hosted in England.

Activation of the sponsorship of the five nations will include integrated activity across out of home, social media, content and PR.

Helen Normoyle, marketing director at Boots UK, said: “Boots has always had a strong heritage of supporting women in sport; we founded our own women’s sports team as early as 1894.

“Via our partnership, we are excited to give the inspirational women in these teams the chance to tell their stories and to hopefully encourage other women to experience the amazing confidence that sport can bring.”