Guess how many Asian brands have deals with the English Premier League
Sponsorship deals with Premier League clubs seem an open goal to corporate giants seeking exposure, but links with even the top teams offer no guarantee of success
As English soccer’s Premier League sides Leicester City and Manchester United prepare for tonight’s FA Community Shield match at Wembley Stadium, it is not only the silverware that will be glinting in Asian eyes.
For King Power, the Thai duty-free conglomerate closely entwined with minnows-turned-champions Leicester, the match represents a triumph of exposure regardless of which team wins. So too for the various Asian sponsors of 20-time champions United, from “official diesel engine partner” Yanmar and “official equipment partner” Epson, both from Japan, to Wahaha, its “official soft drinks partner in China”.
Today, on screens worldwide, they will be the most visible of the region’s many deep-pocketed corporate sponsors who have bet millions of pounds linking their brands to Premier League teams, hoping to grow sales revenue from the league’s ballooning global audience.
Leading Asian brands with prime real estate on Premier League jerseys include – as well as Hong Kong’s own AIA (Tottenham Hotspur) and GWFX (Swansea City) – Japan’s Yokohama Tyres (Chelsea), Dubai’s Emirates (Arsenal), Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways (Manchester City) and Thailand’s Chang beer (Everton). Next season Watford, West Bromwich Albion, Bournemouth and Crystal Palace – sponsored by Asia-facing betting firms 138.com, UK-K8 and the last two by Mansion respectively – will have Chinese characters on their jerseys.
