January 26 – AS Roma have added another Middle Eastern name to their commercial mix, announcing a partnership with Gulf-based fragrance brand Gissah in a deal that pushes the club further into lifestyle licensing and underlines how businesses from the region continue to find footholds in European football.
Gissah becomes Roma’s Official Fragrance Partner, marking the Saudi brand’s first move into football sponsorship and introducing a new commercial category for the Serie A club.
The agreement will see a line of fragrances developed with Roma’s Crest front-and-centre.
The partnership launches under the Arabic slogan ‘Al-Dheeb Yastahil Al-Tayyib’ (The Wolf Deserves the Finest), is a nod to Roma’s iconography.
While well established in the Gulf, Gissah is using the club as an entry point into European and international markets, tapping into football’s distribution, retail and media networks to accelerate brand recognition in the club’s fanbase.
“This partnership with AS Roma represents a strategic step in our international growth,” said Gissah CEO Bashar Al Ameer. “Football provides a global platform, and working with AS Roma allows us to introduce our brand to new markets through a recognised European sports property.”
Roma have made no secret of the Middle East’s importance to their commercial strategy. The club estimates its global fanbase at between 80 and 90 million, backed by more than 46.6 million social media followers and around 129 million TV viewers per season.
Chief business officer Michael Gandler framed the deal as part of a broader brand expansion. “The collaboration allows us to extend the AS Roma brand into a new lifestyle category through a product that connects with supporters beyond matchdays.”
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected]