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MOTORSPORT:
SPONSORSHIP
Top Motorsport deals in 12 months to December 2009
Report Date Sponsor Team Sport Sponsor Type Reported Value of Deal Years Deal Type
Dec-08 Lenovo McLaren Formula One Team Sponsor $16,000,000 1 New
Jan-09 Panasonic Toyota Formula One Team Sponsor $105,000,000 3 Renewal
Mar-09 Virgin Group Brawn GP Formula One Team Sponsor $30,000,000 1 New
Apr-09 Petronas Yamaha Motorcycling Team Sponsor $24,000,000 3 New
Sep-09 Santander McLaren Formula One Team Sponsor $48,000,000 3 Renewal
Oct-09 Repsol Honda team in Moto GP Motorcycling Team Sponsor $16,000,000 1 Renewal
Source:TWSM
and MIG Invest (finance) join
the team. Brawn (alongside Red
Bull Racing) is notable for leading
a trend towards non-traditional
commercial partners. Others
following suit include McLaren
(Marks & Spencer) and Williams
(Hell Energy Drink).
And Brawn has been very
flexible in terms of the types of
deals it is willing to do, opening
up motorsports to a wider range
of partners. Sony Pictures came in
for the Spanish Grand Prix while
other race-specific relationships
entered into by Brawn included
Canon (Singapore) and Cervejaria
(Brazil). With a price-tag of around
$100,000-$150,000, that makes F1
an affordable platform for brands.
F1 aside, there was also good news
for rallying when Ford and Citroen
elected to stay with the WRC for
the next two years. Given the
pressure on car manufacturers, it
was a welcome boost when Citroen
Racing team principal Olivier
Quesnel called WRC “an excellent
promotional vehicle where costs
are contained”. Also positive for
the WRC was the news that Edox
will be official timing partner until
the end of 2012.
Two wheels good
In the two-wheel sector,
international circuit MotoGP’s
experience has, in some respects,
echoed that of F1. At the start
of the year it lost Kawasaki. But
throughout the season, commercial
rights holder Dorna Sports has
managed to sign some important
deals. Gaming company Bwin,
for example, reaffirmed its
commitment when it renewed as
title sponsor of MotoGP events
in Spain (at Jerez) and Portugal
(Estoril). In another coup, Shell
Advance became title sponsor
of the Malaysian motorcycle
Grand Prix - adding to existing
partnerships with races in Qatar,
Italy, Germany and the USA (as
well as being a partner of the
popular works Ducati team).
And there are other
stories which suggest a minibounceback.
In Australia, for
example, Nikon made a lastminute
decision to renew its
sponsorship of the Surfer’s
Paradise SuperGP event - which
featured V8 Supercar races. In
the US, meanwhile, there are
rumours that the IndyCar series
may be on the verge of a big deal
with Phillips Van Heusen apparel
line IZOD, owner of brands such
as Calvin Klein, Van Heusen,
Arrow and Bass, meaning
potential scope for a more broadbased
partnership involving all of
the above in a secondary capacity.
With the global economy still
fragile, it’s too early to claim a
sustainable recovery. But such
developments show that leading
motorsports franchises continue to
be a big pull for brands.
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SportBusiness International • No.152 • 12.09 51