• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Football Association and BT agree £50m strategic sponsorship deal

Football Association and BT agree £50m strategic sponsorship deal

The Football Association (FA) has agreed a five-year sponsorship deal worth around £50 million with BT, a British multinational telecommunications firm.

The FA had been searching for a lead sponsor since its seven-year partnership deal with Vauxhall expired following the 2018 World Cup.

The FA’s new deal, announced before the Women’s World Cup and men’s Nations League finals, is believed to be worth close to £10m a year until 2024.

BT, which the FA is keen to stress is separate from broadcasters BT Sport, eventually agreed terms for a five-year deal which has been signed in time for this week’s Nations League finals in Portugal and the Women’s World Cup.

As the lead partner for all 28 England football teams, the players are expected to wear sponsorship logos for the first time on their training kits this week. The deal will also see EE renew its sponsorship of Wembley Stadium and remain as its lead connectivity partner.

The announcement comes after a season in which billionaire Shahid Khan withdrew his £600m offer to buy Wembley Stadium. Proceeds from the new deal will be spent on grass-roots, the FA pledged.

“This partnership will reach all areas of football, including grassroots football and communities up and down the country,” said Marc Allera, chief executive of BT’s consumer division.

Mark Bullingham, FA chief commercial and football development officer, said: “This is a great start to an exciting week for England football, with the Lionesses starting their World Cup campaign and the men’s senior team in the finals of the Nations League.”

The FA already has 22 commercial partnerships including the likes of Nike, Coca-Cola, Lucozade and Head and Shoulders but BT will now become the lead sponsor.

“I’m really pleased that alongside Barclays and Boots this year, we can add BT to our growing portfolio of commercial partners,” Bullingham added.

“We have worked with the FA for six-years as part of our partnership with Wembley Stadium to connect even more fans with the national game, and this ground-breaking deal sees us extend that from grassroots football all the way to the pinnacle of the women’s and men’s teams. We’re committed to making BT a national champion, and what better way than backing the national game and the national teams. This partnership will reach all areas of football, including grassroots football and communities up and down the country.

“We look forward to revealing our plans in the coming months and we can’t wait to get started.”

The BT agreement includes all 28 England squads and will see the company logo appear on all development, futsal and disability team training kit.

 

 Anthony Nlebem