November 27 – Chelsea have signed Thai energy drink company Carabao as a new principal partner and their first official training wear partner in a multi-year deal estimated at £30 million.
The three-season deal will begin in the summer of 2016 and will see the Carabao logo feature on Chelsea players’ and staff adidas training kit from the 2016/17 season in the warm-up to friendly and competitive fixtures, as well as at press conferences and when the team travels.
Chelsea already has a sponsor presence in Thailand via its partnership with Singha Beer. The club has frequently played pre-season matches in the country and via its ‘Here to Play, Here to Stay’ initiative has been providing grassroots coaching to since 2011. Last week Chelsea announced a new long-term programme at the NIST International School in Bangkok.
Christian Purslow (pictured right), Chelsea FC managing director, said: “We are delighted to form a new partnership with Carabao which represents the first time a football club has welcomed a new partner as its training wear sponsor.
“We are confident that adding Carabao to our family of global partners will, under Financial Fair Play rules, further enhance our competitiveness on the field while growing our popularity still further in Thailand where the club has always enjoyed incredible support. In return our global reach will help Carabao enter new markets and become synonymous with the Chelsea name.”
Chelsea estimates its fanbase at 500 million worldwide and says it has a following of 70 million on its digital and social media platforms. It is this global reach that Carabao wants to take its brand to the world market.
Founded in 2002 by Thai folk singer and celebrity Aed Carabao, the company logo of a buffalo skull featuring a red bird has become one of Thailand’s most recognisable commercial symbols.
Sathien Setthasit (pictured left), Chairman and CEO of Carabao Group, said: “For the past 10 years Chelsea has been one of the greatest teams in the Premier League. We are looking to expand into the world market and have found Chelsea to be a good partner to take us worldwide. I believe the partnership between Chelsea and Carabao will take us to the world and help us become very famous from now on.”
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