UEFA (Union of European Football Associations)

At the invitation of Danish beer brand Carlsberg the Official Beer of Euro 2016 and its PR agency Fuse Sport + Entertainment, Sports Sponsorship Insider experienced the brand’s activation strategy first hand in the lead-up to the quarter-final game between France and Iceland at the Stade de France.

Danish beer brand Carlsberg has been the Official Beer of the European Championships since 1988. Below, Richard Whitty, senior marketing manager for football at Carlsberg, explains its brand positioning as 'the beer of football' and the activation challenges for this year's tournament.

Korean tyre company Hankook aims to increase brand awareness and brand image as a premium tyre supplier in Europe through sponsorship activities that are integral to the company’s marketing strategy in the region.

Countries from five of Europe’s six largest economies make up the top five most-valuable national team sponsorship programmes at Euro 2016, when measured by combined kit deal and main partner income.

With the European Championship in France set to dominate the sporting and sponsorship agenda for the next  four weeks, Sports Sponsorship Insider asked Tyson Henly, international head of football at PRISM, the WPP-owned PR and sports marketing agency, about the activation and ROI prospects for the tournament's sponsors.

European football's governing body, Uefa, has signed up French telecommunications operator Orange on a dedicated Euro 2016 Global Partner deal.

Courier company FedEx’s investment in the Uefa Europa League will support the brand’s targeted expansion in Europe and, in particular, the developing economies of Eastern Europe.

Logistics company FedEx’s investment in the main sponsorship of the Uefa Europa League is linked to the brand's acquisition strategy in the European market.

Consumer electronics manufacturer Sony has doubled its investment as an official sponsor of the Uefa Champions League as Uefa finalises its roster for the 2015-18 cycle.

Raising global brand awareness and technology showcasing is key to Swiss luxury watchmaker Hublot’s sponsorship strategy.

The global appeal of football is central to payment services company Western Union’s deal with the Uefa Europa League but the brand is considering refining its portfolio to reach more consumers in North America and Asia, Marc Audrit, vice president, global brand for Western Union told Sports Sponsorship Insider.

The Sony PlayStation gaming console brand has a limited sponsorship budget in Europe because of its Uefa Champions League commitment, but is open to additional regional or national sponsorship deals – even outside of its core areas of football and motorsports.

Deals with sportswear company adidas and tyre maker Continental in February are understood to have taken Uefa to a new high in sponsorship revenue for the inaugural commercial cycle of its newly rebranded European Qualifiers, from 2014-15 to 2017-18.

Turkish Airlines is weighing up a bid to become an Official Sponsor of the Uefa Champions League from the 2015-16 season, the start of the competition’s next three-year rights cycle.