London’s Wembley Stadium has ended its search for a lead partner with telecommunications company EE signing a six-year deal to take on the rights.
The groundbreaking partnership with Wembley National Stadium Ltd. (WNSL), which was brokered by sports agency Wasserman, sees Wembley sign a lead brand partner for the first time in its history. It will commence with immediate effect, with the first event at the stadium being football’s League Cup final between Manchester City and Sunderland on March 2.
EE was born from two major mobile brands, Orange and T-Mobile, which joined forces in 2010. The company has been linked to the contract as far back as November 2012, with WNSL stressing that the deal will see the historic and world-renowned name of the stadium remain in place. The partnership will be referenced across all channels for both parties as Wembley Stadium connected by EE.
The partnership has been agreed between WNSL and EE with a view to making Wembley the most connected stadium in the world. Wembley will benefit from multi-million pound investment in its technological infrastructure over the course of the six-year partnership to offer visitors the best possible ‘sofa to seat’ experience.
As part of a planned technology road map to be delivered during the deal, future technological advancements from EE include mobile ticketing solutions, enhanced mobile network access and super-fast Wi-Fi available for all. EE customers will benefit from exclusive ticketing and marketing initiatives from late March.
The deal also includes the launch of a free app – the first bespoke app designed for Wembley visitors. The new app offers fans a feed of event content as well as stadium and travel information and is available to download on Apple and Android devices from today. As part of the partnership EE will also become a supplier to the England men’s senior football team and the FA Cup club competition.
Melvin Benn, Wembley chairman, said: “We have been looking for the right partner to help us make sure that Wembley maintains its reputation for being one of the best sport and entertainment venues on the planet. As stadia around the world become increasingly more technologically advanced, EE is the perfect partner to assist us in fulfilling that goal, giving event owners and their fans the best possible and unforgettable shared experiences.”
Benn added: “Wembley Stadium marked its 90th anniversary in 2013 and this partnership shows that we're looking to the future and ensuring that we fulfil our ambition to offer inspiring memories, whilst bringing innovation to the stadium at a much faster rate and providing services that are at the forefront of consumer engagement and technology.”