Drinks producer Diageo is one of a number of companies said to be interested in acquiring the title sponsorship rights to the English Premier League top-tier club football competition, according to UK broadcaster Sky News.
Diageo is reported to be working on a bid for the rights utilising its Guinness brand and is likely to put forward an offer in the coming weeks.
The company does not currently have a top-level football sponsorship deal in place in the UK. However, it is active in other sports such as Formula One motor racing and cricket through its many brands, which include Johnnie Walker whiskey and rum brand Bundaberg.
Consumer electronics giant Samsung, which currently serves as the main sponsor of EPL team Chelsea, is also understood to have expressed an interest in bidding. Multinational automotive brand Ford and payment services company MasterCard have also been linked with potential bids.
Banking group Barclays, the incumbent sponsor of the competition, is also said to have informed the EPL that it may bid for the rights, despite widespread reports suggesting it will withdraw its sponsorship when its existing deal expires at the end of the 2015-16 season.
Barclays in 2012 signed a three-year deal worth £120m (€150.9m/$187.4m) to title sponsor the league. The deal covers global title sponsorship rights, UK and international television programme accreditation, advertising rights, match day tickets and hospitality, as well as joint community activity.