Consumer Electronics

Chinese mobile phone manufacturer ZTE this month followed its national rivals into European football signing an 18-month agreement with Spanish LaLiga club Sevilla.

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.

The Infiniti Red Bull Racing Formula One team this month signed a deal with Chinese electronics manufacturer Hisense as the team’s commercial programme continues to thrive in the face of on-track troubles.

Chinese consumer electronics brand Hisense is focusing on the US, Western Europe and Australia as it looks to use sponsorship to increase awareness outside its home market of China.

The American arm of global consumer electronics group LG will pay an eight-figure fee per year for Corporate Partner marketing and activation rights to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship events in a multi-year deal.

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) managing director, marketing and broadcast alliances, Keith Martin estimates that around 40 to 50 per cent of all advertising revenue during the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship is delivered by NCAA sponsors.

Audio equipment manufacturer Jabra is looking to authenticate itself in the sports fitness space and reach key business decision-makers through its partnerships.

Consumer electronics brand Samsung signed a three-year deal this month with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) as it expands its UK portfolio.

Samsung has wrapped up the computer and telecommunications categories under the terms of its extended Worldwide Partner deal for the Olympic Games, from 2017 to 2020.

Branding space on the FC Barcelona team jersey has reached a new financial high following white goods manufacturer Beko’s deal in June.

The IOC does not expect every upcoming TOP Partner deal to hit its new price point, but the latest deals with consumer electronics brand Panasonic and tyre and rubber company Bridgestone had given it confidence, the organisation told Sports Sponsorship Insider this month.

The Asian Football Confederation is generating between $18m (€13.1m) and $20m per year from Official Sponsors for its club competitions from 2014, in the 2013-16 cycle, following the addition of a second Chinese brand in as many months, construction machinery manufacturer Shandong Lingong Construction Machinery (SDLG).

Soft drinks brand Coca-Cola, razor brand Gillette, financial services company Citigroup and electronics company Sony have shown interest in the McLaren Mercedes F1 Team title sponsorship, but the team may wait until the entry of its new engine partner Honda in 2015 before signing a deal.

Euroleague Basketball is searching for two brands to take its roster of second-tier Premium Partners to six, and aims to scrap sponsorships previously sold around its season-ending Final Four tournament and Game of the Week broadcast.

The French football federation, the Fédération Française de Football, expects to increase its national team sponsorship revenue by between 10 and 15 per cent in its next cycle, to about €72m ($96.5m) per year, with a host of deals set to be agreed in the coming months.

A deal last month with consumer electronics company Samsung lifted sponsorship revenue for the Brazilian football federation, the Confederação Brasileira de Futebol, to more than $100m (€73.5m) per year.

Panasonic is targeting growth in the Russian market with its supplier deal for the 2014 winter Olympics in Sochi, the electronics brand told Sports Sponsorship Insider this month.