Spanish national carrier Iberia has signed a new regional partnership with Spain’s LaLiga.
Under the deal, Iberia will become an Official Partner of LaLiga in China during the 2019-20 season.
Iberia and LaLiga will activate the partnership through a series of events and promotional activities, including competitions and campaigns on Chinese social networks such as Weibo and WeChat.
The deal is part of Iberia’s #talentoabordo (‘talent on board’) project, whereby Iberia aims to gain visibility by promoting the best of Spanish culture in its key target markets.
Gemma Juncá, director of brand and marketing at Iberia, said: “Partnering with one of the best-known Spanish brands internationally will reinforce our image in China, and the role of Iberia as an ambassador for Spanish culture, cuisine and sports.”
Iberia opened its Shanghai to Madrid route in 2016, and now offers three flights a week between the two cities, with a capacity of around 90,000 passengers per year.
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The popularity of the route is increasing, and last year Iberia carried almost 10 per cent more passengers between Madrid and Shanghai than in 2017.
China has been LaLiga’s main focus market in Asia since 2014, when it opened its first Asia office in Beijing.
LaLiga opened a second China office in Shanghai in 2016, from where it has since signed regional partnerships with China-focused brands such as gambling platform ManBetX, car brand Dongfeng Auto, and interior design brand Roomeye.
In the last two seasons alone, SportBusiness Sponsorship understands that LaLiga has tripled its revenue from international sponsors and licensees.