December 16 – Continental Tires, who celebrate a 150th anniversary next year, will do so with a renewed sponsorship of the Asian Football Confederation’s national team competitions and the exclusive sponsor in the tire category.
Continental first partnered with the AFC in 2015 and are the first AFC global partner to sign up for the next rights term.
The new deal for the 2021-2024 rights cycle will see the German manufacturer continue as the Official Tire Partner for competitions including the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar, and the flagship AFC Asian Cup to be held in China in June 2023.
As part of its marketing activation, Continental Tires will host a Trophy Appearance Programme during the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 across the country.
Emphasising a its commitment to football and recognising the rapid growth of the game in Asia – both in participation and in profile for the AFC’s competitions – Ferdinand Hoyos, Executive Vice President of the Replacement Tires Business in APAC for Continental, said: “Football as a sport is making great strides in many of the Asian countries, and we are thrilled to be part of the future of this growing sport here in the region.
“Though the COVID-19 pandemic requires that we take additional precautions to stay vigilant, Continental Tires stands behind sports – with the health and safety of players and fans as the top priority. We look forward into 2021 to celebrate plenty of team victories and Continental Tires’ 150th Year Anniversary.”
In 2021 Continental is running a campaign tagged ‘150 Years of Confidence’, which will see the AFC activate an exclusive digital campaign “featuring a series of high-impact content and activities to celebrate the renewed partnership.”
Dato’ Windsor John, the AFC General Secretary, said: “Continental Tires has been an exclusive partner of the AFC and Asian football since 2015. We are grateful for their continued dedication to the AFC’s national team competitions and are delighted to welcome Continental as the first global partner for the upcoming cycle as we move into a new era of Asian football.”
Part of the €44 billion turnover Continental Group, the Tires business operates from 24 production and development locations worldwide, with more than 56,000 employees generating sales of €11.7 billion in 2019.
The renewal was negotiated by the AFC’s new agency Football Marketing Asia (FMA) which holds the commercial marketing rights for the cycles 2021-2024 and 2025-2028.
Patrick Murphy, Board Member and CEO at FMA, commented: “Continental Tires and Football Marketing Asia share huge ambitions, extensive experience and strong commitment with regards to the continued growth of Asia’s number one sport, in particular one of our most strategic markets of China. We are looking forward to sharing our mutual expertise in activating partnerships both at a consumer and B2B level through the cycle, culminating in the Asian Cup 2023.”
No value was given for the renewal.
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