By Paul Nicholson
December 14 – The timing is interesting, if not ironically amusing. In the week that three former chairman of the English Football Association and two former chief executives wrote to parliament saying the governing body was not fit to govern, Nike confirmed it has extended its partnership with the FA for an additional 12 years through to 2030.
The estimated £400 million deal will see the US sportswear firm design and supply apparel to all 24 England teams based at St. George’s Park, as well as implement a number of grassroots initiatives and support the growth of the women’s game.
The deal is understood to have performance related bonuses if England start to progress at international tournaments.
Martin Glenn, FA Chief Executive, said: “This is another hugely significant deal for The FA and closely follows the landmark Emirates FA Cup broadcast rights announcement last October.
“As a not-for-profit organisation, this new deal with Nike will allow The FA to invest even more into the game and make football available for all. I’d like to thank Nike for their continued support of the England teams and English football.”
The FA switched to Nike in 2012 in a six-year deal that took over from Umbro’s 60-year relationship with England. The new Nike deal will kick in after the Russia 2018 World Cup and run through to 2030.
Industry estimates say the Nike deal with England is second in value only to Adidas’s kit sponsorship of world champions Germany.
Mark Bullingham, FA group commercial and marketing director, said: “With The FA striving to be a world-class organisation, it’s vital for us to partner with innovative global leaders such as Nike and look to the future together. As well as supplying all of our England teams with state-of-the-art apparel, Nike is a huge supporter of our technical division’s work and of grassroots football across the country. It’s fantastic that this support will not only continue but increase from now until 2030.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1713552241labto1713552241ofdlr1713552241owedi1713552241sni@n1713552241osloh1713552241cin.l1713552241uap1713552241