Saudi Telecom in sponsorship deal with Manchester United

defc0nx · 18th August 2008, 08:34

Not sure if this has been posted before. My apologies if it has...

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Telecom Co (STC) is set to sign a marketing deal with football club Manchester United that could be worth $18.6 million (9.3 million pounds), a spokesman said, its first-ever deal with a non-Saudi football club.

Football is a favoured pastime in the Middle East and telecom firms, including Emirates Telecommunications Corp, are often lead sponsors of sporting events.

STC has spent more than $6 billion in foreign expansion since June 2007 as it faces greater competition in its home market, where securing sponsorship deals with local football clubs helps telecom companies retain customers in a saturated market.

"We are at Manchester now. We will have a press conference tomorrow and the deal will be announced today during a Manchester United game," STC spokesman Mohamed al-Faraj told Reuters on Sunday.

He declined to elaborate on the nature of the deal.

The Sunday Times reported on Sunday that the five-year deal would grant STC rights to use Manchester United's logo and imagery in its marketing in Saudi Arabia.

STC would be able to offer its subscribers video clips of match highlights, the paper said.

"The arrangement is said to be one of the biggest non-shirt sponsorship deals in British football," the Times said.

STC competes in Saudi Arabia with Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) and Zain Saudi Arabia. The incumbent operator has paid $200 million for five-year sponsorship agreements with three Saudi clubs.

Its rival Mobily signed a 200-million-riyal (28.5 million pounds) sports-marketing deal with Saudi club al-Hilal last year -- then described as the Middle East's largest ever deal of its kind.

STC's first foreign acquisition was of a 25 percent stake in Malaysia's Maxis for $3 billion, opening markets in India, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Many leading names in the world of football finance, including Manchester United, have sought to develop strong ties in various Asian countries in recent years, through sponsorship, tours and links with local clubs.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/sports...BrandChannel=0

UnofficialDevil · 18th August 2008, 08:45

First time I've head of it. Sounds like a good deal.

gaffs · 18th August 2008, 08:49

Sounds like easy money.

^Red Devil^ · 18th August 2008, 09:01

yea i saw this a couple of days ago, easy money!

Devil_forever · 18th August 2008, 09:28

That £10 mill has to be for the 5 years combined surely. No one will pay that annually (not being the principle sponsor), so what they can show highlights of our matches and use our logo?

If thats right then we will be paid for our brand to be marketted

Devil_forever · 18th August 2008, 17:14

it is a £2 mill per year deal. £10 mill combined in five years just checked.

cj_lad · 18th August 2008, 17:46

Maybe this has something to do with all the signs in Arabic on the car park railings yesterday, and the Asian Tv crew that were interviewing people. Wondered what that was about!

Veron · 18th August 2008, 20:14

Saudi clubs get paid more thena us ?

vijay · 18th August 2008, 20:23

They could take over the club in the future. An agenda was already this Jan yet the face value of the club has increased in the last couple of years they rolled back.

18th August 2008, 08:34	#1 (permalink)
defc0nx Youth Team Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Theatre of Dreams Posts: 289	Saudi Telecom in sponsorship deal with Manchester United Not sure if this has been posted before. My apologies if it has... RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Telecom Co (STC) is set to sign a marketing deal with football club Manchester United that could be worth $18.6 million (9.3 million pounds), a spokesman said, its first-ever deal with a non-Saudi football club. Football is a favoured pastime in the Middle East and telecom firms, including Emirates Telecommunications Corp, are often lead sponsors of sporting events. STC has spent more than $6 billion in foreign expansion since June 2007 as it faces greater competition in its home market, where securing sponsorship deals with local football clubs helps telecom companies retain customers in a saturated market. "We are at Manchester now. We will have a press conference tomorrow and the deal will be announced today during a Manchester United game," STC spokesman Mohamed al-Faraj told Reuters on Sunday. He declined to elaborate on the nature of the deal. The Sunday Times reported on Sunday that the five-year deal would grant STC rights to use Manchester United's logo and imagery in its marketing in Saudi Arabia. STC would be able to offer its subscribers video clips of match highlights, the paper said. "The arrangement is said to be one of the biggest non-shirt sponsorship deals in British football," the Times said. STC competes in Saudi Arabia with Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) and Zain Saudi Arabia. The incumbent operator has paid $200 million for five-year sponsorship agreements with three Saudi clubs. Its rival Mobily signed a 200-million-riyal (28.5 million pounds) sports-marketing deal with Saudi club al-Hilal last year -- then described as the Middle East's largest ever deal of its kind. STC's first foreign acquisition was of a 25 percent stake in Malaysia's Maxis for $3 billion, opening markets in India, Indonesia and Malaysia. Many leading names in the world of football finance, including Manchester United, have sought to develop strong ties in various Asian countries in recent years, through sponsorship, tours and links with local clubs. http://uk.reuters.com/article/sports...BrandChannel=0

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18th August 2008, 08:45	#2 (permalink)
UnofficialDevil Officially Damned Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: hell Posts: 7,228	First time I've head of it. Sounds like a good deal.

18th August 2008, 08:49	#3 (permalink)
gaffs First Team Sub Join Date: May 2007 Location: Moscow 08, Rome 09, London 11 Posts: 9,994	Sounds like easy money.

18th August 2008, 09:01	#4 (permalink)
^Red Devil^ Reserve Team Player Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Newton Heath L&YR F.C. Posts: 1,438	yea i saw this a couple of days ago, easy money!

18th August 2008, 09:28	#5 (permalink)
Devil_forever You're only young once, you can be immature f'ever (lost a bet) Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Head of the naval division of lolibfascon Posts: 8,516	That £10 mill has to be for the 5 years combined surely. No one will pay that annually (not being the principle sponsor), so what they can show highlights of our matches and use our logo? If thats right then we will be paid for our brand to be marketted

18th August 2008, 17:14	#6 (permalink)
Devil_forever You're only young once, you can be immature f'ever (lost a bet) Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Head of the naval division of lolibfascon Posts: 8,516	it is a £2 mill per year deal. £10 mill combined in five years just checked.

18th August 2008, 17:46	#7 (permalink)
cj_lad Youth Team Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Alderley Edge Posts: 417	Maybe this has something to do with all the signs in Arabic on the car park railings yesterday, and the Asian Tv crew that were interviewing people. Wondered what that was about!

18th August 2008, 20:14	#8 (permalink)
Veron Varun Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 3,258	Saudi clubs get paid more thena us ?

18th August 2008, 20:23	#9 (permalink)
vijay Im rude and disprespectful to the ladies of the forum,though Im happy to cruise Jason and Suresh Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: 狗杂种,闭嘴辱罵,用俚語說...废物点心 : Dinamic Dude Posts: 16,334	They could take over the club in the future. An agenda was already this Jan yet the face value of the club has increased in the last couple of years they rolled back.