February 10 – Budweiser is dropping its £9 million-a-year sponsorship of England’s FA Cup, the oldest Cup competition in the world. The FA has said it is now looking for a new sponsor partner starting with the 2014-15 season.
Budweiser is a FIFA sponsor with a long term deal taking it through the next three World Cups to 2022. It’s deal with the FA Cup lasted for three years and was ‘in association with’ (as opposed to being called the Budweiser FA Cup). The FA is believed to be prepared to sell full naming rights in the next deal if the price is right.
The FA’s Commercial Director, Stuart Turner, said: “Budweiser has embraced The FA Cup and we’re grateful for their support.
“The Cup retains a special place in English football and it remains an important competition, not just in England but across the globe.
“Next year The FA Cup will move to the BBC’s platforms and we are very excited about its future.”
The FA Cup still holds a prized position in the English football calendar even though it does not carry Champions League qualification. As a result some of the premier league clubs have taken the competition less seriously with some managers having said the cup is a distraction in a busy fixtures schedule.
But there is no doubt that the Cup attracts the full attention of the lower league clubs who are all aiming for a shot at big league opposition and the financial benefit that can bring.
The FA points to a growth in interest in the Cup despite some of the less-helpful publicity from some of the competitors, saying on its website that last season’s Fifth and Sixth Round crowds beating records from over 30 years ago, while last month’s Third Round weekend saw over half a million supporters attend fixtures, the most since 1980.
Iain Newell, On Trade Sales Director at Budweiser, said of the company’s sponsorship: “We are proud of our support for the world’s most prestigious domestic cup competition.
“The partnership has been great for Budweiser, fans and clubs around the UK, and in particular those grassroots clubs who have benefitted from £1m of Budweiser grants through the Club Futures programme…
“We continue our long standing association with football through Budweiser’s sponsorship of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, and the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734806969labto1734806969ofdlr1734806969owedi1734806969sni@n1734806969osloh1734806969cin.l1734806969uap1734806969