Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A football club São Paulo has named higher education institution FIAP as its new front-of-shirt sponsor.
The deal marks a change in strategy for the club, which opted to not have a sponsor on its playing jerseys throughout the duration of the 2015 Serie A season.
FIAP and São Paulo have agreed a one-year deal, which will become effective on January 1 and covers the 2016 campaign. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, though reports claim that the deal is worth close to the R3.6m (€834,000/$913,000) that Panamanian airline Copa Airlines paid in April to become the club’s digital media partner.
As part of the deal, FIAP, which has four campuses in the city, will provide São Paulo employees with business and technology courses.
“The agreement with FIAP is fully aligned to the new era of the club,” São Paulo’s marketing director, Vinicius Pinotti, said. “We want to expand the activities of the sponsors so they can effectively relate to our main asset, which is the crowd.
“More than a sponsor, it is a partnership of São Paulo with the FIAP, involving training for staff, equipment upgrades and even benefits for fans.”
The Wolff Sports & Marketing agency brokered the deal.