EXCLUSIVE: Unveiling Football Teams Sponsored by Emirate Airline

Emirates and Football Sponsorship

Football is a truly global sport and consequently has always been an important strand to Emirates’ sponsorship portfolio. Through the acquisition of sponsorship rights with governing bodies and leading clubs teams, Emirates has arguably become one of the most prominent brands within football.
Emirates has an equally impressive portfolio of sponsorships at European club level with partnerships including AC Milan, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal. In 2004, Emirates and Arsenal Football Club signed the biggest club sponsorship in English football history. The deal included naming rights to the new stadium, which is known as the Emirates Stadium, as well as an eight-year shirt sponsorship deal from season 2006/07. A partnership with the Asian Football Confederation allows Emirates to be visible within the important markets in Asia.

Arsenal FC and Emirates Stadium

In December 2012, Emirates renewed its partnership with Arsenal Football Club, extending the airline’s relationship with the English Premier League club, which dates back to 2004. The new £150 million deal grants Emirates a five year extension to its shirt partnership with the club until the end of the 2018/2019 season. As well as being one of the biggest deals in the history of the game, the agreement extends and deepens one of the strongest and most recognisable partnerships in world sport.

In addition to shirt sponsorship, Emirates is proud to hold the naming rights to Arsenal’s home ground, Emirates Stadium, a state-of-the-art 60,000 seat arena in North London. As well as hosting Arsenal’s home games, Emirates Stadium has hosted six international matches and a number of music concerts in recent years. As part of the renewed sponsorship deal, Arsenal’s home will continue to be known as Emirates Stadium until 2028.
Now in its ninth season, Emirates Stadium has proven to be a very good investment for Emirates, working globally across a network linking over 140 destinations in six continents, people around the world are truly proud to be associated with such an incredible project.
As three-time winners of the English Premier League, 12 time FA Cup winners and regulars in the UEFA Champions League, Arsenal is one of the best supported clubs in the world allowing Emirates to reach an international audience. Research shows that Arsenal has a phenomenal global fan base, and Emirates is confident that it has found a true world leader to partner with on the international stage.

AC Milan

Emirates’ sponsorship of AC Milan

AC Milan is one of the world’s most successful clubs and Emirates has been proud sponsors of the Italian club since 2007. With an incredible seven UEFA Champions League titles and 18 domestic trophies to their name, AC Milan have built a formidable reputation in the game and Emirates is proud to sponsor the prestigious club.
Emirates began its relationship with AC Milan in 2007, signing up as the club’s Top Institutional Sponsor for three years providing branding rights at AC Milan’s San Siro stadium as well as at their Milanello training ground alongside ticket and hospitality benefits. In 2010, Emirates expanded its relationship with AC Milan by signing a four-year deal to become the club’s official shirt sponsor.
In January 2012, AC Milan travelled to Dubai for an Emirates sponsored winter training camp where they competed against another Emirates sponsored club, Paris Saint-Germain, in the Dubai Football Challenge. AC Milan, featuring David Beckham and Ronaldinho, were winners of the Challenge in 2009.
In addition, AC Milan has featured in the Emirates Cup, an annual pre-season tournament hosted at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in London.

S.L. Benfica

Sport Lisboa e Benfica is a club with a rich history and an impressive trophy cabinet and Emirates is proud to have become a Main Sponsor of the club at the start of the 2015/16 season. Top of the Portuguese Primeira Liga for a record breaking 34 times, the Lisbon based club has a strong reputation for being a force to be reckoned with in European Club football and a dedicated fan base to match.

Emirates first joined forces with S.L. Benfica for the 2014/15 season as the Official Airline Partner, a partnership which was soon extended when the airline signed a three-year deal to become the club’s Main Sponsor and to see the iconic Fly Emirates across the kit.
In 2014, Benfica took part in the Emirates Cup, an annual pre-season tournament hosted at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in London.

Paris Saint-Germain

Emirates’ global support of football includes Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)

Emirates first signed its sponsorship agreement with Paris Saint-Germain in 2005, followed by a shirt sponsorship which started in 2006. Paris Saint-Germain has been an integral part of French football’s long and illustrious history and the club enjoys a strong fan base, not just within France but also across the globe. This partnership represents a perfect combination of two global brands able to unite and engage worldwide fans. For the Club’s first Asian tour last July, Emirates presented the first branded aircraft in the colours of the club and connected fans in Hong Kong and Beijing to their footballing passions.
As a result of the partnership, Emirates continues to enjoy highly visible branding in Parc des Princes stadium, Paris Saint-Germain’s stadium, as well as the Fly Emirates logo on the team shirt and access to the stadium’s premier hospitality facilities.
Paris Saint-Germain is an integral part of Emirates’ sponsorship portfolio comprising top sporting teams and tournaments as well as high profile cultural events around the world.

Hamburger SV

Emirates and Hamburger SV Sponsorship

As one of German football’s most successful and renowned clubs, Hamburger SV provide a perfect partnership for Emirates in a key European market and in February 2012, Emirates renewed its sponsorship with Hamburger SV for another three seasons until June 2015, highlighting the airline’s ongoing commitment to Germany and to sports around the world.
In addition to being the football club's main shirt sponsor, the deal includes prominent branding at Imtech Arena, the home of Hamburger SV, as well as promotional and hospitality rights.
At Hamburger SV’s home match with rivals Bayern Munich falling just days after the renewal was signed, Emirates had a significant presence in and around the stadium. The airline ran an ‘Ultimate Fan Experience’ competition in the week leading up to the game, which offered one lucky fan the experience of a lifetime; including a surprise meet and greet home visit from a Hamburger SV player, Emirates chauffeur drive to and from the stadium, behind the scenes stadium tour, a signed Hamburger SV shirt and two “Business Class” seats to watch the match.
Prior to kick-off on the night, the ever popular Emirates Destination Challenge was on hand to entertain the many fans who chose to brave the cold weather and arrive at the stadium early, with over 100 taking kicks for a chance to win return flights to Australia.
Inside the stadium, Emirates cabin crew were on show as the teams emerged from the tunnel and also presented the winner of the ‘Spot The Fan’ big screen competition with their prize; and exclusive behind the scenes training day with the Hamburger SV squad.

Real Madrid C.F.

Emirates’ sponsorship of Real Madrid

Emirates commitment to football includes Real Madrid, the world’s most successful football club. Emirates announced our new agreement on the 30th May, granting the airline a prestigious five-year shirt sponsorship of the Club until the end of the 2017/2018 season.
The announcement was made by His Highness (H.H.) Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group and Florentino Perez, Club President of Real Madrid at the iconic Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. The newly branded kit was introduced shortly after the announcement, and the white jersey will be worn by players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Iker Casillas and Karim Benzema.
The ‘Fly Emirates’ logo will appear on the front of Real Madrid’s playing and training kits. The new agreement also contains a number of additional hospitality rights, including a branded VIP Lounge at the stadium, additional player access and further advertising rights. Emirates will also continue to enjoy highly visible branding at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
“The announcement of our shirt sponsorship propels our relationship with Real Madrid to a whole new level. Aligning ourselves with an international powerhouse like Real Madrid helps to amplify our brand message by creating more meaningful connections with sports fans around the world. In this case, we are engaging with one of the largest fan-bases in the world,” said H.H. Sheikh Ahmed.
“The Club has been a key catalyst in the growth of our brand and business in Spain and we are confident that the new shirt sponsorship will continue our momentum of integrating our brand with the iconic Real Madrid brand, generating authentic fan experiences around the world,” added H.H. Sheikh Ahmed.
“Today, we are entering a new era as Emirates will become the Real Madrid shirt sponsor for the next five seasons, putting its signature brand name on our jerseys. This strategic alliance will have worldwide reach because our organizations touch millions and have a massive following. We are confident about what the future holds for our two global brands who see no obstacles and we are both passionate about leading the way in everything that we do,” said Florentino Perez.
“This key decision is significant for our team and it will allow us to continue competing at the highest level worldwide and face challenges with the determination to succeed as Real Madrid always does. Emirates is without a doubt a perfect partner for us, and a global airline operating to a broad network of destinations, bringing us closer to our fans on all continents,” added Mr Perez.
Real Madrid is considered to be the most successful club in football, winning a record 32 La Liga titles, 18 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, eight Spanish Super Cups, a record nine UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Cups, one UEFA Supercup and three Intercontinental Cups.
Real Madrid has been part of Emirates’ impressive sponsorship portfolio since 2011. The Club was recently named the “World’s Most Valuable Football Team’ by Forbes magazine and has established itself as a major force in the sport. With a global fan base of 500 million, and a massive social media following of over 40 million Facebook fans and eight million Twitter fans, the Club has touched fans and spectators in every corner of the globe.

Olympiacos FC

Emirates, proud sponsor of Olympiacos FC

In November 2011, Emirates announced the renewal of its sponsorship of Olympiacos, continuing the airline’s involvement with the most successful club in Greek football history until 2013.
With an astonishing 39 league titles, 25 Greek Cups and four Greek Super Cups to their name, Olympiacos boast a remarkable fan base of almost 2.5 million in Greece alone providing Emirates a huge audience reach.
As part of Emirates’ sponsorship of Olympiacos, ‘Fly Emirates’ signage will be displayed at the Karaiskaki stadium, the home of Olympiacos, as well as promotional and hospitality rights at all home games.
The Emirates Olympiacos sponsorship is yet another example of significant investment in the Greek market from the airline. Emirates has carried 900,000 passengers in the last five years, fostering trade and tourism connections between the UAE and Greece.

Arsenal Soccer Schools Dubai

Emirates, proud sponsor of Arsenal Soccer Schools Dubai

Arsenal Soccer Schools Dubai is a joint venture between Emirates and Arsenal Football Club that provides children the opportunity to learn from UEFA licensed coaches.
Established in 2009, five years after Emirates became a major sponsor of the Premier League club, Arsenal Soccer Schools Dubai aim to give kids the chance to learn how to ‘Play the Arsenal Way’. The training programme is designed to help young players develop their technical skills and passion for the game, ensuring they have a platform to reach their potential.

Arsenal Soccer Schools Dubai – which is open to boys and girls of all ages and ability – is permanently based at The Sevens, Emirates’ dedicated sporting venue in Dubai.
In December 2012, Emirates renewed its sponsorship deal with Arsenal, extending the airline’s relationship with the English Premier League club which dates back to 2004. The new £150 million deal grants Emirates a five year extension to its shirt partnership with the club until the end of the 2018/2019 season while Arsenal’s home stadium will continue to be known as Emirates Stadium up to 2028.


Emirates’ impressive football sponsorship portfolio also includes a number of high profile teams and events including Asian Football Confederation, Arsenal FC, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Olympiacos FC, Arsenal Soccer Schools Dubai, The Emirates Cup, and Zain Saudi Professional League.
READ MORE: http://www.emirates.com