Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain has inked a new partnership with Swiss cruise company MSC Cruises.
Under the three-year deal, MSC Cruises will become the club’s Official and Exclusive Global Cruise Partner until 2021.
Speaking to SportBusiness Sponsorship on PSG’s sponsorship strategy, Marc Armstrong, chief partnerships officer at PSG, said: “As ever with our partnerships, it’s a combination of factors.
“It’s not just the money, but it’s also about looking at the brand, identifying our shared values, and seeing how they are going to activate.
As part of the deal, MSC Cruises will get collective image rights, VIP hospitality rights, meet and greets with players, LED time, signed merchandise, digital assets and brand activation during international tours.
Gianni Onorato, chief executive of MSC Cruises, said: “This is part of MSC Cruises’s strategic focus in France, a key market, to build further positive brand association and introduce our distinctive cruise experience to new audiences in France, Europe and across the globe.”
The deal coincides with a €13.6bn MSC investment plan to add 17 new ships to its fleet between 2017 and 2027.
MSC Cruises signed a similar deal with Premier League club Chelsea in November last year. The partnership officially launched in January this year, making MSC the Official Global Cruise Partner of Chelsea.