HERBALIFE, the nutritional supplement maker, has renewed its main shirt sponsorship deal with Major League Soccer franchise, the LA Galaxy, for $44 million over 10 years.
The deal is the single largest and longest sponsorship agreement for an MLS club in the league’s history and also includes $1m for the joint community programme benefiting Children's Institute, Inc.
Tim Leiweke, CEO of franchise owners Anschutz Entertainment Group, said the deal demonstrated Herbalife’s “belief and faith” in the MLS. “Herbalife bet on the Galaxy six years ago and now the MLS has exploded in popularity and growth,” Leiweke said.
But Herbalife has also bought into two more years of David Beckham, who signed a new deal with LA Galaxy in January 2012.
Leiweke admits that Herbalife’s original five-year, $25m deal with LA Galaxy (from 2007 through 2011) was driven by Beckham’s move to the States. The renewal reflects Beckham’s continued influence in that it is actually worth less than the old deal on an annualised basis.
Herbalife’s sponsorship portfolio has also ramped up since 2007. In 2010, Herbalife signed a three-year agreement with FC Barcelona as the club’s Official Nutrition Sponsor while signing Lionel Messi to a three-year endorsement deal.
Among a host of other sports team and athlete deals, Herbalife is also a sponsor of FC Schalke, Valencia CF and Spartak Moscow.
Brian McKinley is Herbalife’s Director of Corporate Sponsorship and Alliances.