June 9 – Premier League club Southampton may have lost a manager this week, but they have gained a new main club sponsor. TV and broadband provider Virgin Media will take over from consumer electronics firm Veho in a three-year deal.
No figure has been released for the price Virgin Media are paying but market estimates put it at close to £10 million, an increase of 8 times the amount understood to have been paid by Veho, a Southampton-based company.
Virgin Media becomes the club’s official shirt sponsor from the start of the 2016-17 season. The partnership is also to include a number of fan-based initiatives which a club press release said is “aimed at putting fans at the heart of football”. More details will be announced before the start of the season.
Virgin Media is part of the US-owned Liberty Global, one of the world’s largest cable companies. Virgin has tentatively competed for Premier League broadcast rights in the past but has never fully committed to that chase. It boasts that it is the UK’s only TV provider to offer live football from both BT Sport and Sky Sports in one package.
Currently its focus is on providing high speed broadband to homes and businesses through its £3 billion Project Lightning programme. Virgin says it expects to reach 17 million premises in the UK by the end of 2019
Commenting on the Saints sponsorship, Tom Mockridge, chief executive officer of Virgin Media, said: “This is a knockout combination: one of the world’s fastest-growing football clubs joining forces with Virgin Media, the only place you can watch all the UK’s live footballing action on TV.
“Virgin and the Saints both like to do things a little bit differently; we’ll be working together to give fans the best experience in football whether they are at home, away or watching on TV. Together, We March On!”
Southampton’s CEO Gareth Rogers, was similarly enthusiastic, emphasising the growth of the club and its ambition: “We are delighted to announce Virgin Media as our new main club sponsor and look forward to a successful relationship together. This partnership is another positive step in the club’s continued growth and development and an excellent opportunity to collaborate with a brand that shares our core values.”
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