Financial Services

Formula One motor-racing team Sauber has further expanded its number of Mexican commercial partners through one-year deals with financial institution Unifin and insurance company Interproteccion.

RaboDirect, the savings bank based in Dublin, Ireland, which is part of the Dutch co-operative, Rabobank, is looking for more locally-driven sponsorships in Ireland to replace its title sponsorship of the RaboDirect PRO12, the major rugby union club competition for top teams from Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy.

Banking and financial services holding company Wells Fargo has agreed to extend its sponsorship of North American NBA basketball team Portland Trail Blazers through to the end of the 2015-16 season.

Brand perception is at the forefront of energy company BP’s decision to become an International Partner of the International Paralympic Committee, Mike Sharrock, partnership director for Olympics and Paralympics at BP, told Sports Sponsorship Insider this month.

Financial services provider MetLife is looking to make greater strides in China under its new title sponsorship of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Superseries, Simon Smith, global marketing and communications executive at MetLife told Sports Sponsorship Insider this month.

Global payment brand Visa this month extended its Fifa Partner agreement from 2015 to 2022.

Principal investment holding company Sapinda Holding has agreed a one-year sponsorship deal with the Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula One motor-racing team for the 2014 season.

The McLaren Mercedes Formula One motor-racing team has extended its long-term sponsorship deal with Spanish banking group Santander and entered into a new corporate partnership with legal practice Norton Rose Fulbright.

Scotiabank has sealed a six-year deal to become the official bank of NHL team Edmonton Oilers, further increasing the banking group’s presence in Canadian ice hockey.

Property and house prices website Zoopla has opted against renewing its shirt sponsorship deal with English Premier League football team West Bromwich Albion at the end of the current 2013-14 season.

Danish online trading investment group Saxo Bank has announced a one-year sponsorship agreement with Lotus F1, easing the financial concerns surrounding the Formula One motor racing team.

Property and house prices website Zoopla is reported to have issued an ultimatum to West Bromwich Albion, threatening to withdraw its shirt sponsorship of the English Premier League football team if it selects Nicolas Anelka for tonight’s match against Everton.

Extended live coverage of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open on American free-to-air broadcaster NBC was a major step in the brand’s drive to increase awareness in the US, Jill Maxwell, sponsorship and events manager for Aberdeen Asset Management, told Sports Sponsorship Insider.

Life insurance company New York Life has reached an agreement to become the presenting sponsor of the Big East Conference’s college sports championships through the 2014-15 academic year.

Banking group Raiffeisen has extended its sponsorship of Swiss-Ski, the national governing body for skiing in Switzerland, by three years until 2017

Financial services company Visa has extended its top-tier partnership with Fifa, world football’s governing body, until 2022.