Financial Services - Insurance

Netherlands-based insurance company NN Group has added a second-tier National Sponsor deal with the 2016 European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam to its growing, running-focused portfolio, while the Championships’ organisers admit national sales have proved “challenging”.

Germany's football association (DFB) last month hit its 30-per-cent-increase goal on two deals for the DFB-Pokal, the premier domestic cup competition.

Major League Baseball’s restructuring of its commercial offering was key to securing its first insurance partner since 2012, experts said.

Car insurance brand Esurance is focused on increasing brand awareness through its exclusive auto partner deal with Major League Baseball.

The marketing team behind insurance company Aviva will continue to “test the waters” as title sponsor of cycling’s Tour of Britain and Women’s Tour. The brand assumed the rights from its subsidiary financial services company Friends Life, which served as title sponsor to both in 2014.

German insurance company ERGO is looking to intensify its efforts around national sports association sponsorships, Andrea Hoelken, head of strategic marketing at ERGO, told Sports Sponsorship Insider.

Germany-based insurance company R+V Versicherung has taken the place of long-term insurance partner ERGO as a second-tier Premium Partner of Bundesliga club Schalke 04, paying an increase on the fee paid by its predecessor.

US insurance company Allstate is using college football as the main platform to communicate its key messages.

Spain-based insurance brand Mapfre this month signed a deal to become the stadium naming rights partner for Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew.

Global insurance and investment management company NN Group aims to sponsor major international running events or create brand-owned running events in seven key markets over the next two years.

Transportation insurance company TVM is using sports sponsorship as a story-telling platform and a tool to drive client engagement.

Australian private health insurer Nib Health Funds is using brand recognition from sports sponsorship to grow its customer base.

Swiss insurance company Vaudoise Insurance this month renewed its Presenting Sponsorship of cycling’s Tour de Suisse in a three-year deal, from 2015 to 2017.

Austrian Bundesliga football club SK Rapid Vienna this month struck a 10-year deal, from 2016 to 2026, with Allianz Group Austria, the Austrian arm of the global insurance company, for the naming rights to the club’s new stadium.

Global insurance company Allianz SE has stadium naming rights contracts in six countries following the recent deal between its Austrian arm Allianz Group Austria and Austrian Bundesliga football club SK Rapid Vienna. 

Mutual insurance provider Royal London is using its title sponsorship of one-day cricket in England to end its position as the “best kept secret in financial services”, Clare Salmon, group brand director and executive director at Royal London told Sports Sponsorship Insider.

The Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) is close to a new four-year sponsorship deal which will take the competition to between $55m (€39.5m) and $60m in annual central sponsorship revenue.

Aviva, the UK’s largest insurer with over 14 million customers and one of Europe’s leading providers of life and general insurance, will continue to take a portfolio approach to its sponsorship activity, using key assets in rugby union and football.

Boston-based global insurance company Liberty Mutual Group has a diversified and varied portfolio of sponsorship assets and partnerships in 26 different markets around the world. Its Irish division is using an innovative sponsorship around Gaelic sports to show its commitment in a new market.