Telecommunications company Saudi Telecom has struck a five-year extension to its sponsorship agreement with English Premier League football club Manchester United.
The deal, running from 2013-14 to 2017-18, will allow the company to switch from being an official telecommunications partner to ‘official triple play partner’, covering Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait, while also holding triple play rights in Turkey for the first year of the agreement.
As official triple play partner, Saudi Telecom will bring United’s dedicated television channel, MUTV, to the Gulf region for the first time, with the exclusive rights to distribute MUTV via its television, online and mobile services in these territories. Saudi Telecom has been a partner of the defending Premier League champion since 2008.
Saudi Telecom’s deal with United was announced after the company on Friday signed a five-year extension to its sponsorship contract with Spanish Liga giant Real Madrid, also from 2013-14 to 2017-18.
“There is a lot of potential to grow the sports rights market in the Middle East, and this deal will ensure that Saudi Telecom continues to lead the way in this sector,” Saudi Telecom board of directors member and chairman of the investment committee, Mohammed Al Dhoheyan, said. “Saudi Telecom continues to focus on the growing youth population and sport is one of its key ways to reach out to them, not just in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but also across the Middle East region. Sports marketing is an untapped area and offers huge growth opportunities for regional organisations and this will be a key growth area for STC in the coming months.”