Delta Air Lines refuels Chelsea partnership

English Premier League champion Chelsea has signed an extension to its partnership with Delta Air Lines.

Delta first teamed up with Chelsea in 2012 and will continue to serve as the football club’s official global airline partner under a fresh three-year deal that runs from the 2015-16 season until the end of the 2017-18 campaign.

The airline has a strong sporting presence in its home market of the United States, where it boasts high-profile sponsorships with teams including Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees, the National Hockey League’s Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks of American football’s NFL.

Chelsea managing director Christian Purslow said: ‘‘Over the next three years we look forward to Delta continuing to help us tell Chelsea’s story all over the world, particularly in their home market in America, where they are such an established and recognised presence.”

The Delta extension comes after online casino and sportsbook operator BetVictor entered into a partnership with Chelsea earlier this week. Under the deal, the terms of which were not disclosed, BetVictor will become the club’s global betting and gaming partner.