![Picture](/uploads/6/0/0/1/60019721/9339870.jpg?265)
Jersey sponsorship amongst soccer teams has skyrocketed within the past 20 years. Teams in Europe are leading the way in revenue from sponsorship deals. In particular, Emirates, has a significant amount teams it sponsors. Emirates was founded in 1985 and is one of the biggest airlines in Europe and around the world. They are known here in the United States for making the worlds longest commercial flight from Dubai to the U.S. They advertise their airline by putting a “Fly Emirates” logo on the front of clubs jerseys.
Emirates have taken initiative to go after big names in the soccer industry. They sponsor: the Asian Football Confederation, Arsenal FC and Emirates Stadium, AC Milan, S.L.Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain, Hamburger SV, Real Madrid C.F., Olympiacos FC, Arsenal Soccer Schools Dubai and the Emirates Cup. Emirates has arguably become of the most prominent brands within football according to their website. They sponsor teams to get their name and brand out for the public. Also, they sponsor the Asian Football Confederation to be seen in the Asian markets since they operate there as well. So the goal in mind for Emirates is to spread its recognition for its company by initiating sponsorships with top soccer clubs throughout Europe. I believe that Emirates takes a “relevant” stance in their sponsorship because most of their airline flights are throughout Europe and Asia. It would be irrelevant if they decided to sponsor a team in Canada if they did not have a wide range of flights there.
The soccer teams benefits depend on the sponsor. According to a report by the magazine Mental_Floss, jersey sponsorships have doubled in revenue from 235 million euros in 2000 to 470 million euros in 2011. Teams want that extra revenue to be able to build new stadiums and acquire the best players. Fly Emirates can be seen on the front chest of jerseys, banners across stadiums, or even Emirates stadium, the Arsenal FC stadium. The Real Madrid FC paid its star player 17 million in 2014; it would be financially hard to pay a player without support from its sponsors.
Emirates have taken initiative to go after big names in the soccer industry. They sponsor: the Asian Football Confederation, Arsenal FC and Emirates Stadium, AC Milan, S.L.Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain, Hamburger SV, Real Madrid C.F., Olympiacos FC, Arsenal Soccer Schools Dubai and the Emirates Cup. Emirates has arguably become of the most prominent brands within football according to their website. They sponsor teams to get their name and brand out for the public. Also, they sponsor the Asian Football Confederation to be seen in the Asian markets since they operate there as well. So the goal in mind for Emirates is to spread its recognition for its company by initiating sponsorships with top soccer clubs throughout Europe. I believe that Emirates takes a “relevant” stance in their sponsorship because most of their airline flights are throughout Europe and Asia. It would be irrelevant if they decided to sponsor a team in Canada if they did not have a wide range of flights there.
The soccer teams benefits depend on the sponsor. According to a report by the magazine Mental_Floss, jersey sponsorships have doubled in revenue from 235 million euros in 2000 to 470 million euros in 2011. Teams want that extra revenue to be able to build new stadiums and acquire the best players. Fly Emirates can be seen on the front chest of jerseys, banners across stadiums, or even Emirates stadium, the Arsenal FC stadium. The Real Madrid FC paid its star player 17 million in 2014; it would be financially hard to pay a player without support from its sponsors.
After the recent attacks in Paris, the Paris Saint Germain soccer club decided to temporarily take the Fly Emirates logo off their jersey and replaced it with the message Je Suis Paris in support. This is a powerful message for the soccer club and also a backbone of support for Emirates. Even though the Fly Emirates logo is going to be missing for two games, Emirates knows that their current sponsorship is worthwhile if it has the capability of sending a strong message such Je Suis Paris. Their decision to put this message of their jersey comes at a right time and place considering that they are the biggest club in Paris. This gives them the National attention that they want to give. The Paris Saint Germain club took a huge risk by doing this because there could have been some sort of retaliation or broken contract. However, if Emirates would have decided to file a lawsuit, they would be under criticism after the events that took place in Paris.
I believe that Emirates is doing a phenomenal job in being a sponsor these clubs. Their return on investment is benefitting them substantially. Personally, I would have never heard of this airline if it weren’t for their Fly Emirates logo on the front of the Real Madrid jersey. However, I don’t think it would be as effective if they sought after the less popular soccer teams. They perhaps would get attention in Europe, but not many fans in the United States follow those teams. Furthermore, I believe a top name brand should not be associated with a team that isn’t performing the best on the field.
Overall, Emirates is one of the top jersey sponsors throughout Europe. They have tough competition to fight for the best teams however; they are currently sponsoring some of the best clubs as of now. Being a multi billion company gives them a firm advantage over many others. The one club that I see them competing over is Barcelona FC. Currently Qatar Airlines is sponsoring them, which shows that airline companies are taking investments in these types of sponsorships. This does not mean that they will always be there; UNICEF is seen on the Barcelona jerseys during their support for children and emergency relief. Related to the Je Suis Paris advertisement, clubs could ultimately decide to part ways with making money to support charitable organizations.