March 29 – Vauxhall is to end its sponsorship deals with the four British nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland at the end of the 2018 World Cup, when its current agreements expire.
The car manufacturer has been the leading sponsor partner of all four nations since 2011 and said in a statement it has “agreed to explore other opportunities to continue its relationship with the FAs beyond the conclusion of the existing contracts”.
Vauxhall Motors inherited the sponsorship from the Nationwide Building Society, a sponsorship that had been running for several years and that made British football history when it became the first organisation ever to sign title partnership agreements with all four associations.
Running up to and including the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the contracts included sponsorship of all national teams and a full inventory of other grass roots national football programmes.
Vauxhall said it “has been very proud to be the lead sponsor for each of the four Home Nations football associations” and that it has “enjoyed excellent relations with all the associations and the partnerships have proved extremely successful in delivering its original targeted strategic objectives.
“Vauxhall will now concentrate its marketing resources on communicating the wealth of new, innovative and technologically advanced models that will be launched over the coming months and years.”
No figure was announced for the initial deals done in 2011 and any renewal by Vauxhall would have likely been at a premium to what was paid then.
With all four British nations still in the running for 2018 World Cup qualification, the cost post-2018 to renew all four would likely be prohibitive for one sponsor to take the lead position across the board.
England secured a 12-year renewal with Nike last December, reckoned to be worth £400 million. This is understood to be an improvement on the deal signed when the FA switched to Nike in 2012
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1713950754labto1713950754ofdlr1713950754owedi1713950754sni@n1713950754osloh1713950754cin.l1713950754uap1713950754