Football

Fast food restaurant McDonald’s’ franchisee programme sees each store contribute a cash fee to the brand’s global sponsorships of the Olympic Games and the World Cup, Thomas Truttmann, head of sports at McDonald’s Europe told Sports Sponsorship Insider.

Major League Soccer team Portland Timbers has agreed a multi-year community partnership with Providence Health & Services that awards the naming rights for its home stadium to the not-for-profit healthcare provider.

The English Football Association is seeking a new lead partner for its FA Cup knockout competition from the 2014-15 season, with its current deal with Budweiser due to end following the current 2013-14 campaign.

Poultry producer Wiesenhof has extended its sponsorship of German Bundesliga top-flight football club Werder Bremen.

Spanish Liga champion Barcelona has announced a three-year extension to its commercial partnership with soft drinks brand Big Cola.

German tyre manufacturer Continental has expanded its partnership with Uefa to sponsor international qualification matches played under the jurisdiction of European football’s governing body from 2014 to 2017.

Carmaker Audi’s far-reaching involvement in winter sports sits as one of four cornerstones in the brand’s wider sponsorship approach, Florian Zitzlsperger, head of sports marketing at Audi, told Sports Sponsorship Insider. The three remaining cornerstones in Audi’s wider strategy are: motorsport, football and golf.

Manchester-based sportswear brand Umbro has signed a five-year technical partnership with Everton to provide kits for the English Premier League football team.

Banking group First Capital Plus Bank has agreed a five-year deal with the Ghana Football Association to become the title sponsor of the country’s top flight football division.

The Army National Guard has agreed a deal with the National Women’s Soccer League to become the official armed forces partner of the US women’s top-flight football competition.

Italy has more laws on its statute books than any other European country but Italians are famous for considering them to be mere suggestions, polite recommendations, even paternalistic forms of advice, rather than binding rules...

Swiss watchmaker Jean Richard has agreed a long-term partnership with English Premier League top-tier football club Arsenal.

Italian Serie A football club Parma has signed a one-year extension to its shirt sponsorship deal with vacuum cleaner manufacturer Vorwerk Folletto.

English Premier League top-tier football club Crystal Palace has agreed a deal with Italian sportswear company Macron.

Cruise ship company MSC Crociere has agreed a deal to become a premium sponsor of Italian Serie A top-flight football club Lazio for the remainder of the 2013-14 season.

US sportswear company Nike has agreed a five-year partnership with the South African Football Association to become the governing body’s new technical sponsor from February 1.