McDonald’s partners SEA Games for first time

Fast-food giant McDonald’s has agreed a deal to sponsor this year’s edition of the Southeast Asian Games multi-sport event, which will take place in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.

McDonald’s will serve as a silver sponsor of the Games, which will run from August 19-30, and the ASEAN Para Games, which take place from September 17-23.

McDonald’s will contribute a fee of between RM1m (€210,000/$229,000) and RM3m as part of the agreement and will serve as the official restaurant of the Games.

McDonald’s will also play a significant role in the Games’ torch run, which will travel across Malaysia from May 14 to August 12. Three McDonald’s restaurants in Johor, Pulau Pinang and Putrajaya will serve as “pit stops” for the torch run.

“I believe this sponsorship will not only allow McDonald’s to further strengthen its branding in the Southeast Asia region, but also to utilise this strength to unite Malaysians just as it does through its food products,” Malaysia’s Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said.

Jamaluddin also confirmed that the organising committee for the Games has now reached 87 per cent of its sponsorship target of RM80m. This includes 71 per cent of the targeted RM30m in cash sponsorship and 99 per cent of the RM50m sponsorship in kind.

The deal represents McDonald’s first partnership with a SEA Games.