Worcestershire partner upgrades to become main sponsor

Financial services company Blackfinch Investments has upgraded its partnership with English county cricket club Worcestershire to become its main sponsor.

The new deal will initially cover the 2017 season but includes the option to extend for a further two years. Blackfinch chief executive Richard Cook said he hoped the partnership would become a “long-term relationship”.

Blackfinch, which served as Worcestershire’s shirt sleeve sponsor during the 2016 campaign, will now have its branding feature on the chest area of the team’s jerseys.

It replaces premium hot tub and spa brand Arctic Spas as the club’s main shirt sponsor. Blackfinch currently benefits from in-ground brand exposure at Worcestershire’s New Road stadium.

Cook said: “We have a client base who are typically sympathetic with cricket support. We provide inheritance tax, investment services for investors – and we are investment managers as well, what we do with that money for clients is invest into property backed developments and young businesses.

“We are looking to access that network around the Worcestershire area…so we see it (the Worcestershire CCC partnership) as a very good fit for us. We are going to use the facilities at New Road and take our clients there a lot. Getting our name out there locally is great but, also with the TV exposure, it is going to be great for us to increase awareness of our brand nationally.”