Under Armour, Gatorade, Equinox, Geico and DHL have each signed on as sponsors of the 2016 edition of pre-season club football competition the International Champions Cup.
US sportswear company Under Armour will serve as the event’s official ball and apparel provider. As part of the deal, its Desafio ball will be used during each match of the tournament.
PepsiCo-owned isotonic drinks brand Gatorade has been named the official sports fuel of the ICC. The partnership will grant Gatorade pitchside product placement during games.
Technical services business Equinox’s partnership will centre on fan engagement on match days and geo-targeted digital sweepstakes. The agreement will focus on the ICC markets of New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco, where Equinox-partnered clubs are based.
Global logistics company DHL will organise promotional activities such as the DHL Fan Reporter, while it will also serve as the presenting partner for the delivery of the match ball. Relevent Sports, the tournament’s promoter, brokered each partnership.
David Tyler, chief executive of Relevent Sports, said:“These top-tier brands, along with the multiple others we’ve signed, demonstrate the strength of the property and its growth in four short years. These brands work with some of the most influential and well-known organisations, teams and leagues in the world and our partnership highlights our place in this space.”
This year’s ICC will take place from July 22 to August 13 and will feature games in Europe, the US, Australia and China. A host of top-flight European clubs will take part, including Spanish Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid, English Premier League champion Leicester City, and German Bundesliga sides Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.