December 14 – LaLiga has brought in sports marketing agency IMG to boost its global sponsorship sales as it continues its international revenue drive.
LaLiga already has existing global deals with 20 international partners including Nike, EA Sports, Tag Heuer, Santander, Sportium, Mahou, ElCorte Inglés and Unilever’s Clear Men and Rexona brands – sponsors who have a mix of regional and global rights. Domestically the league has nine national sponsors.
The deal with IMG is exclusive, said LaLiga, with sponsorship packages being built around its broadcast footprint and content capabilities.
LaLiga over the past three years has expanded not just its commercial sales activity but also a significant number of brand and coaching partnerships internationally to capitalise on its fanbase – the recent, though failed, attempt to play a regular season league match between Girona and Barcelona in the US is one example. While for the most part Europe’s other big leagues have seen expansion focussed around their clubs’ own intiatives, aside from Barca and Real Madrid, Spanish activity has been led by the league.
LaLiga has also invested heavily with Microsoft to build a digital platform that will enable it to make better use of its content assets and communicate on multiple levels beyond broadcast pictures that with its international fanbase.
Adolfo Bara, SVP & Managing Director, Football Events, IMG, said: “LaLiga has huge global appeal and provides a fantastic opportunity for brands looking to tap into a worldwide audience of almost three billion with broadcast spanning 185 countries. We look forward to leveraging the full resource and capability of IMG’s global sales team to identify and secure the best possible partnerships for LaLiga.”
IMG’s football sponsorship client portfolio includes Conmebol through its joint venture with Perform Group in FC Diaz Media, and the Chinese Super League (CSL).
“This agreement with IMG will certainly accelerate our international growth,” said Oscar Mayo, head of international development at LaLiga. “IMG’s expertise combined with a powerful brand like LaLiga will create numerous opportunities for partners and for LaLiga.”
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