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.