German sports brand Puma has signed as the Official Match Ball Supplier of Spain’s LaLiga.
Under the deal, Puma will supply match balls to the Spanish top flight for the next three seasons, from 2019-20 to 2021-22.
Puma takes over as match ball supplier from US rival Nike, which has held the match ball rights for 23 years.
As reported by Spanish news site Palco23, Puma is expected to pay around €6m per season for the rights.
It is understood that LaLiga president Javier Tebas supported the switch to Puma as a way to differentiate LaLiga from the Premier League and Serie A.
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All three leagues currently use the same Nike Merlin match ball, albeit with slightly different colour schemes.
Puma’s latest agreement with LaLiga is thought to be part of the brand’s comeback strategy in elite European football sponsorship, after years of domination by Nike and adidas.
This season, Puma has signed new deals with Premier League champions Manchester City and several other clubs in the City Football Group portfolio.
As reported by SportBusiness Sponsorship last month, Puma will supply kit to Girona, Melbourne City, Club Atlético Torque and CFG’s new Chinese club acquisition, Sichuan Jiuniu.