Banking group Santander has agreed a deal with Uefa, the governing body for European football, to sponsor its Champions League club competition. The Spanish company has also confirmed that it has ended its sponsorship commitments in the Formula One motor-racing series.
Santander’s three-year deal for the Champions League will cover the 2018-19 to 2020-21 seasons. The agreement also incorporates the Super Cup, Youth League Finals and the newly-formed Futsal Champions League Finals.
The partnership will grant Santander pitch-side and television advertising spots, as well as tickets, client hospitality events and other rights.
Santander already sponsors the Copa Libertadores, the South American equivalent of the Champions League, and LaLiga, the organising body of club football in Spain, where it serves as the title sponsor of the top two divisions.
Banco Santander executive chairman Ana Botín said: “Santander's partnership with the Uefa Champions League, the world's most global and aspirational sporting competition, builds on our support of Libertadores and, more recently, Racing Santander, the local football team of the Cantabrian city where our bank was founded 160 years ago.
“We love sport. Our free-time exercise, which we do to challenge ourselves to be better, the weekend match we watch with family and friends, our loyalty to a club and the excitement of the spectacle. We will continue our support of sport because it is a valuable way to contribute to the prosperity of the communities where we work.”
The deal marks the third partnership signed as part of the 2018-2021 sponsorship sales cycle for the Champions League. Dutch brewing company Heineken and Japanese automotive manufacturer Nissan have already renewed their sponsorship of the tournament for three more years.
Meanwhile, Santander has confirmed its partnership with Formula One team Ferrari will conclude at the end of the year. Santander and Ferrari had been partners for eight years. Santander’s other sponsorship agreements within F1 will also come to an end.
Botín added: “Ferrari and F1, to whom we are very grateful, have played an important role at Santander over the past 10 years.”