FA Cup and Emirates check in ‘£10m a year’ title sponsorship renewal
The FA has inked a four-year renewal of its FA Cup title sponsorship agreement with Emirates, which will now run until 2028.
The partnership was first signed in 2015, and was later extended in 2021 for a further three years.
The original deal was reportedly worth around £10m annually, marking an increase on the FA’s previous agreement with Budweiser, which was worth a reported £9m a year.
The latest extension comes ahead of this year’s edition of the domestic knockout competition, which kicks off on 2nd August with the extra preliminary round.
The deal includes fan activations such as the Emirates FA Cup Trophy Tour, which has enabled fans around the world to see the trophy in person.
Revenue from the partnership is invested by the FA into English football from grassroots to professional level.
Emirates’ expansive sports partnership roster also includes deals with Arsenal, AC Milan and Benfica, as well as a reported €70m (£59.1m) a year agreement with Real Madrid.
Outside of football, the airline is also a partner of all four tennis Grand Slams, the NBA, the Rugby World Cup, and the AFL.
“We remain incredibly proud of our long-standing partnership with The FA, and with this prestigious and historic tournament that is loved by football fans worldwide,” said Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates.
“This is a commitment that underscores our dedication to supporting football at all levels, and we look forward to connecting even more fans from around the globe to their favourite teams, so that they too can experience the magic of the Emirates FA Cup.”
Mark Bullingham, CEO of the FA, added, “Our partnership has gone from strength to strength over the years and [Emirates’] commitment to the world’s most iconic domestic cup competition during that time has greatly benefitted the English game.
“Their global reach continues to help us share the magic of the cup and its unique stories with fans around the world, and their ongoing investment into the Emirates FA Cup helps us to provide vital funding across all levels of English football.”
Stay up to date with the world of sports business by subscribing to the Sport Industry Daily.
