Athletics

Swiss luxury watch brand TAG Heuer has agreed a deal to become the official timekeeper and timepiece of the New York Marathon.

The German Athletics Federation (DLV) has extended its partnership with domestic health insurance provider Barmer GEK until the end of 2016.

The World Marathon Majors group of elite marathon races has agreed a long-term partnership with the Infront Sports & Media agency that will lead to the formation of the series’ first-ever integrated sponsorship platform.

Sportswear giant Adidas has agreed a deal to become an official partner of the 2014 Singapore Marathon.

Household goods company Procter & Gamble (P&G) has expanded its commercial portfolio in sport by signing up as a partner of the British Athletics governing body.

The Bahamas’ partly government-owned telecommunications company BTC has reached an agreement to return as title sponsor of Bahamas Athletics’ Junior and Senior National Track and Field Championships.

Buxton Water is using sponsorship to increase awareness around its brand repositioning as a high quality mineral water, Alberto Kechler, Senior brand manager at Buxton and Nestlé Pure Life told Sports Sponsorship Insider.

The ownership group of the Sacramento Kings NBA basketball franchise has agreed a marketing partnership covering the 2014 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

German sportswear company Puma has entered into a partnership with mass participation event organiser Nova International to sponsor its UK long-distance running property the Great Run Series.

Scottish car dealership Arnold Clark has become an official sponsor of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Supporting the brand outside of its headquarters in London is at the forefront of the telecommunications company BT’s sponsorship work, Richard Young, commercial director for BT, told Sports Sponsorship Insider.

Active engagement with its products in order to create authenticity and improve the brand’s reputation in sport is the key driver behind nutrition company Herbalife’s sponsorship programme, Brian McKinley, senior director of corporate alliances at Herbalife, told Sports Sponsorship Insider.

Swiss financial services firm UBS has agreed a four-year extension to its sponsorship of the Swiss Athletics governing body.

Sponsorship has proven a “flexible instrument” to financial services company UniCredit that has supported brand building and will provide a platform for future business related objectives, Daniele Penna, head of strategic sponsorships at UniCredit Group told Sports Sponsorship Insider.

IPC Athletics, the International Paralympic Committee’s federation for para-athletics, has reached a 12-month agreement to make financial services company Allianz its first global partner.

Legal firm Graham Thompson Attorneys and food and beverage multinational Nestle have agreed to become sponsors of the International Association of Athletics Federations’ (IAAF) inaugural World Relays event, which takes place in the Bahamas later this month.

Korean car brand Hyundai beat rival carmaker BMW and consumer electronics company Toshiba to the title sponsorship of the Beijing Marathon last month thanks to strong local connections.

International banking group Standard Chartered has signed a three-year extension to its title sponsorship of the Singapore Marathon.