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Welcome to the Scout Newsletter, an exploration into the data behind the Australian Sport and Sponsorship Landscape.

This Week in Sponsorship is a weekly wrap up of the latest deals and renewals with a special focus on the Deal of the Week or other noteworthy sponsorship related topics. Check out previous articles.

Didn’t see your sponsorship mentioned below? Let us know here for a shoutout in our weekly wrap-up and a chance at a feature in Deal of the Week.

Enjoy!

11th December 2024

Deal(s) of the week

Emirates x Australian Open

Emirates x Collingwood Magpies

Brand: Emirates

HQ: Dubai (AU: Melbourne)

Category: Airlines

Deal type: Renewal

Context: In one fell swoop, Emirates has re-signed two of the largest Airline sponsorships in Australia, extending with both the Australian Open and Collingwood Magpies for a further 5 years. Dating back over 10 and 25 years respectively, these are some of the longest standing partnerships in the category and Australian sponsorship overall.

What do we know about Airlines and sponsorship?

As large international companies, Airlines have historically done high profile sponsorship deals, favouring league-wide or higher-tier club partnerships. It is the third ranked category by % of deals greater than $1M per annum at 33%.

The category went through a period of turmoil as domestic and international travel was severely hampered during the COVID pandemic. Several key deals ended without replacement before and during this period, including:

• Etihad and Docklands Stadium

• Qantas and Rugby Australia

• Emirates and Melbourne Cup

However, since then the category has bounced back with spend up 9% in the last 12 months, including a number of notable new deals:

• Melbourne Storm brought on Fiji Airways for a minimum 3-year term

• Melbourne Victory signed a 3-year deal with Turkish Airlines as their Principal Partner, after parting ways with the failed low-cost carrier Bonza

• New entrant Auckland FC brought on Qantas as an Official Partner

Emirates dominates sponsorship within the category, spending significantly more than its next closest rival. The extension of their key deals further entrenches their standing at the top of the category. Their portfolio is quite well balanced, providing strong coverage across the summer and winter seasons and across all key states.

Virgin is the most active by number of partnerships, with various league and clubland deals in Aussie Rules and Netball. Skewing towards winter, Virgin’s share of sponsorship is lacking during the summer months, a key period for the category. Additionally, the AFL’s relative lack of penetration in QLD and NSW leaves Virgin under-represented in these states.

Qantas spends well below its market position, contributing fewer sponsorship dollars than Virgin despite being approximately four-times the size (on a revenue basis). Will Australia’s largest commercial airline reassess their sponsorship strategy to bring their activity more in-line with their market-leading position?

Scout data above as of October 1st 2024.

Want to see your sponsorship featured? Let us know here for a shoutout in our weekly wrap-up and a chance at a feature in Deal of the Week.

Notable deals of the week

NEW

🎾 The Australian Open and M&M’S Australia have announced a multi-year partnership which will see M&M’S named as the Official Confectionery Partner of the tournament. In January, M&M’S will launch Australia's first pop-up M&M’S store at the Australian Open, becoming the brand’s unofficial eighth store in the world and the first in the Southern Hemisphere.

🎾 The Australian Open announced a new partnership with premium spirit brand, Grey Goose. As the Official Vodka Partner of the Australian Open, Grey Goose will debut the Lemon Ace cocktail at the tournament in January.

🏏 Cricket NSW have announced Swyftx, a leading cryptocurrency and financial exchange platform, as a Major Partner of the Sydney Thunder for the KFC BBL|14 season. Swyftx branding will feature on the back of Thunder’s playing shirts. Swyftx will also join the Sydney Sixers as an Official Partner.

🏉 The North Queensland Cowboys will partner with Suncorp for the next two years. The new deal will see the insurer become the Cowboys Official General Insurance Partner, a Major Partner of the NRL and NRLW programs, and a partner of the Cowboys Community Foundation.

🏉 The Adelaide Crows have joined forces with South Australian beer brand Coopers Brewery, in a three-year partnership. As part of the deal, the brewery will take on naming rights of The Bunker at Adelaide Oval, where fans can sip on a Coopers beer while looking into the Crows’ changerooms and warm-up area.

🏀 Adelaide 36ers have announced a new partnership with Corpay, Inc. that will see the brand’s Cross-Border business become the club’s Official Foreign Exchange Partner.

🏏 Sydney Thunder have received a boost ahead of KFC BBL|14, welcoming Carnival Cruise Line as the club’s new official partner.

⚽️ Macarthur Bulls FC have announced sports performance brand, ASICS as the club’s official footwear partner for the 2024/25 season. This exciting partnership will see ASICS provide footwear across the club, supporting Macarthur Bulls FC in every stride and every game.

⚽️ Western Sydney Wanderers FC have today unveiled a new partnership with the Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese set to kick off in 2025.

⚽️ QLD Government partners with Brisbane Roar and Football Queensland through the new support funding for the ‘Activate! Queensland’ initiative.

⚽️ Perth Glory has confirmed global ice cream brand Baskin-Robbins as a major sponsor of its A-League Women’s team for the 2024/25 season.

🏉 The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs have announced Elastoplast as the Club’s official sports tape partner from the 2025 season.

RENEWALS/UPGRADES

🎾 The Australian Open and Emirates Airlines have renewed their global partnership. Emirates will remain the Official Airline of the Australian Open until 2029, with this year marking a decade of the longstanding partnership.

🏉 Collingwood Magpies have announced a five-year extension with the Emirates Airlines, which will see them as the Premier Partner of the Club through to 2029. The renewal will take the partnership to 30 years, becoming the longest standing partnership within Emirates’ sponsorship portfolio.

🏉 XXXX has upgraded its sponsorship with QRL and the Maroons and will now be displayed on the women’s Maroons jersey for the first time.

🏉 The Dolphins NRL and the University of the Sunshine Coast are looking to the future, after re-signing an exclusive education sponsorship partnership for another two years.

⚽️ Western United is proud will continue their partnership with Cavolt Electrical for the 2024/25 season. Supporting the Club for the last three years, Cavolt Electrical has delivered all the electrical works around Ironbark Fields and this season has become the Official Presenting Partner of the Western United Chairman’s Club.

🏉 Thiess will continue its sponsorship of the NRLW Newcastle Knights team in 2025. The 2025 sponsorship builds on Thiess’ support in 2024, when the Knights took home third place for the season.

🏉 Western Australian transport and logistics company, Sullivan Logistics, has extended its partnership with the West Australian Football League (WAFL). As part of the collaboration, Sullivan Logistics has become the competition’s naming rights sponsor for the next four years.

🏀 Basketball NSW have announced an extension of its partnership with iAthletic for an additional five years, reaffirming iAthletic’s role as the Basketball NSW Apparel and Merchandise Partner.

🏏 The Melbourne Stars have announced that Brown Property Group will return as the presenting partner of the Melbourne Stars Family Day at Casey Fields.

Didn’t see your sponsorship mentioned? Let us know here for a shoutout in our weekly wrap-up and a chance at a feature in Deal of the Week.

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