By Paul Nicholson
March 5 – Scottish giants Celtic have traded Nike in for another US firm, New Balance, in a new kit deal estimated to worth $5.8 million per year, the biggest ever for the club and easily the largest sponsorship in club football in Scotland.
The five season, £29 million deal will start with the 2015/16 season. The New Balance sponsorship ends Celtic’s 10-year association with Nike.
The Celtic deal marks the next step of New Balance’s growth into the football market, one that it hasn’t focussed on before, despite the company’s 100 year history.
Richard Wright (pictured cnetre), general manager of New Balance Football, said: “We have only just announced our move into football, the world’s biggest sport, a huge decision for the brand.”
Since early February New Balance have announced partnerships with Liverpool, Seville and Porto, picking off major club brands in Europe’s key football markets – club brands that are expected to perform well on domestic and European stages, and potentially wider.
The Liverpool deal is worth an estimated of $40 million (£26 million) per year and sees New Balance take over from its subsidiary Warrior.
Wright emphasised the international footprint as key to its sponsorship strategy. “Your desire to grow globally is entirely aligned with what we want to do, we are a worldwide global athletic brand.
“Celtic fans are everywhere in the world, everywhere you go there are Celtic fans and we as a brand want to be with them.”
The first New Balance Celtic kits will be revealed in July 2015 and as well as team kit, New Balance will supply training wear and equipment as well as producing a range of Celtic branded leisure product.
Celtic Chief Executive Peter Lawwell (pictured right) said: “New Balance is one of the world’s leading sportswear manufacturers and will cater for the huge global demand for Celtic kit. Importantly our cultures match well.”
New Balance is headquartered in Boston, a traditional hotbed of Celtic support internationally and the home of the Boston Celtics NBA team.
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