By Matt Scott
March 14 – Manchester United signed their latest global commercial partner in what has now become a 24-firm squad with the arrival on the scene of the Official Global Lubricant Oil and Fuel Retail Partner, Gulf Oil, on Monday.
The Hinduja-Group owned company was attracted to the 325 million-strong base of followers in Asia, which it sees as key to expanding its businesses in India, China, the Middle East and Indonesia, where it has been developing a presence.
Manchester United’s group managing director, Richard Arnold, said: “Gulf Oil International already has significant experience in sport and we are looking forward to working with them to expand that into football. Through this partnership we will further our commitment to reach our fans around the world, especially in Asia.”
It is indeed far from Gulf’s first sports sponsorship, the name having long been associated with motorsport since the Mirage M1 wore its blue-and-orange livery when winning the Spa 1000km race in 1967. However it is Gulf’s first incursion into football.
“Gulf is regarded as an iconic brand in motorsport circles, but this is a truly exciting opportunity for Gulf to expand beyond our motorsport sponsorships and to stand on the global stage – showing the ambition and growth aspirations of the brand,” said Gulf International’s vice president, Frank Rutten.
“This partnership with Manchester United, surely the world’s greatest football name, brings together two brands with incredible heritage, a pride in performance excellence and the ability to listen to the wishes of their customers – the fans in the case of Manchester United – and turn this into action. We are extremely excited about the prospect of moving forward together.”
The value of the deal was undisclosed, however Manchester United’s commercial revenues grew in the five years between the 2010-11 and 2014-15 seasons by 90.4% from £103.4m [$148.1m, €133.4m] to £196.9m [$282.2m, €254.1m], a compound annual growth rate of 13.75%.
Yet even that impressive trendline has taken a sharp upturn in recent months. The first six months of the 2015-16 season, before the Gulf Oil deal began, saw United’s commercial revenues exceed those of the entire previous season, at £205.0m [$293.9m, €264.5m]. According to United’s interim report for the three months to 31 December 2015, that was “primarily due to the commencement of the new [kit-supplier] agreement with Adidas.”
Manchester United Official Global Partners
Adidas – Official Kit Supplier
Aon – Principal Partner
Chevrolet – Principal Partner
20th Century Fox – Official Feature Film Partner
Abengoa– Official Sustainable Technology Partner
Aeroflot – Official Carrier
Aperol Spritz – Official Global Spirits Partner
Bulova – Official Timekeeping Partner
Casillero del Diablo – Official Wine
Columbia – Outdoor Apparel Partner
DHL – Official Logistics Partner
Epson – Official Office equipment Partner
Gulf Oil – Official Global Lubricant Oil and Fuel Retail Partner
HCL – Official Digital Transformation Partner
Heroes – Official Formal Footwear Partner
KamaGames – Official Social Casino Games Partner
Kansai Paint – Official Paint Partner
Marathonbet – Official Global Betting Partner
New Era – Leisure Headwear
Nissin Foods Group – Official Global Noodle Partner
Singha – Official Beer Partner
Swissquote – Official Forex and Online Financial Trading Partner
Toshiba Medical Systems – Official Medical Systems Partner
Yanmar – Official Global [marine diesel] Partner
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