By Peter Evans
LONDON--Manchester United Ltd. (MANU) and Aon PLC (AON) have
signed an eight-year sponsorship deal worth $240 million that will
see United's training ground renamed and its training kit
rebranded, underlining the English soccer club's enduring global
commercial appeal.
As part of the deal, United's Trafford training center--often
known simply as Carrington--will be renamed the Aon Training
Complex, while the team will now train in Aon-branded kit. The
partnership with Aon, which begins July 1, replaces an existing
$61.3 million deal United had for training kit sponsorship with
DHL, part of Deutsche Post AG (DPW.XE).
The renaming of the training ground raised concerns that the
naming rights for Old Trafford--United's home ground since
1910--might also be available to the highest bidder, but the club
moved to reassure fans. "Old Trafford will not be sold," executive
vice-chairman Ed Woodward told reporters Sunday.
United, which last year floated on the New York stock exchange,
has been stacking up sponsorship deals in recent months. The Aon
deal follows agreement late last year with General Motors Co.'s
(GM) Chevrolet brand for a $547 million, seven-season sponsorship
of United's playing strip, starting in 2014. Chevrolet will now
replace Aon as the playing kit sponsor. United also holds deals
with Nike Inc. (NKE), online gaming firm Bwin.Party (BPTY.LN) and
Indian beer brand Singha.
A key tenet of Aon's sponsorship will be the endorsement of
United's preseason tours, which often visit parts of Asia and
Africa to tap into a rapidly growing fanbase.
"This is the single most effective marketing platform available
for us," said Phil Clement, Aon's global chief marketing and
communications officer. "It's about appealing to every corner of
the world."
Richard Arnold, United's commercial director, added: "I am
delighted that this cements our relationship with Aon for a further
eight years--they are a great partner and I am very excited about
the possibilities."
United, which sits 15 points clear at the top of the English
Premier League, plays nearest rivals Manchester City Monday
night.
Write to Peter Evans at peter.evans@dowjones.com
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