CONSUMER ELECTRONICS giant Panasonic has expanded its commercial relationship with soccer in the United States by signing a multi-faceted, three-year sponsorship agreement with Major League Soccer (MLS) and US Soccer.
Under the deal, Panasonic renews its partnership with MLS as the league’s "Official Consumer Electronics Partner” rolling on from the previous three-year contract between 2009 and 2012, which was worth around $3m per year.
The new agreement will also see Panasonic become the "Official Consumer Electronics Partner" of US Soccer as well as the "Official/Proud Sponsor" of the US men's and women's national teams, extending through the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Frontiers research suggests that the national team component could eventually be worth more than the league deal depending on performances.
Panasonic has been involved in US Soccer for almost 10 years and is a technology partner of a number of MLS facilities, including the Red Bull Arena, home of the New York Red Bulls; PPL Park, home of the Philadelphia Union; and Livestrong Sporting Park, home of Sporting Kansas.
The new sponsorship was negotiated by Soccer United Marketing, which announced MLS/US Soccer renewals with founding partners Pepsi and Anheuser-Busch earlier this year.