Corinthians reconnect with TIM

Campeonato Brasileiro football club Corinthians has signed a two-and-a-half year extension to its shirt sponsorship deal with Italian telecommunications firm TIM.

The reigning Fifa Club World Cup champion became the first Brazilian team to partner with TIM in 2010, with the company having since expanded its involvement in the domestic game to sponsor 13 other clubs.

TIM will now partner Corinthians through to January 2016 and will continue to have branding presence within the numbers on the back of the club’s shirts, along with displaying its logo at the team’s training ground.

Caixa Economica Federal holds Corinthians’ main shirt sponsor contract, with Nike and education company Fisk also enjoying presence on the jerseys.

Fisk is sponsoring Corinthians through the 2013 season; with the Sao Paulo club having last year extended its deal with Nike through December 2022 for a reported $144.2m (€106m).

Government-owned financial institution Caixa is paying $14.9m for the right to display its logo across the front of the Corinthians’ shirts until the end of 2013. TIM’s new contract is worth around $1.8m per year, according to the Maquina do Esporte website.