By Andrew Warshaw
March 9 – An American sportswear manufacturer has broken into the English Premier League, with Under Armour Inc. signing a deal to become kit suppliers for Tottenham Hotspur.
The Baltimore-based group, which exceeded $1 billion (£618 million) in annual sales for the first time last year, has signed a five-year deal with the North London club to replace Puma, Europe’s second biggest sports goods organisation, as the club’s kit supplier at the start of the 2012-13 season.
“This allows us to create a media vehicle in a market where we are under-penetrated,” said Mark Dowley, Under Armour’s executive vice-president.
Tottenham qualified for the lucrative Champions League for the first time this season, giving them far greater international exposure.
Chairman Daniel Levy said of Under Armour: “They are an extremely ambitious brand with global aspirations, making them ideal partners.”
The multi-million pound deal is the biggest in Europe for the US company, which also supplies kit for the Wales rugby team as it tries to increase its market share outside the USA, where it has a raft of commercial tie-ups.
The value of the Under Armour deal has not been revealed although some reports put it as high as £10 million ($16 million) a season.
This season, Tottenham signed separate shirt sponsorship deals, with software infrastructure company Autonomy the orth London club’s shirt sponsor for the Premier League, while Investec’s name is used for Champions League and domestic cup competitions.
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