B&TB&TB&T
  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Technology
  • Regulars
    • Agency Scorecards
    • Best of the Best
    • Campaigns of the Month
    • CMO Power List
    • CMOs to Watch
    • Culture Bites
    • Fast 10
    • New Business Winners
    • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Jobs
  • Awards
    • 30 Under 30
    • B&T Awards
    • Cairns Crocodiles
    • Women In Media
    • Women Leading Tech
Search
Trending topics:
  • Cairns Crocodiles
  • Nine
  • Seven
  • Federal Election
  • Pinterest
  • AFL
  • AI
  • News Corp
  • Married At First Sight
  • NRL
  • Cairns Hatchlings
  • Channel 10
  • Anthony Albanese
  • oOh!Media
  • WPP
  • Special
  • Thinkerbell
  • TV Ratings
  • Radio Ratings
  • Sports Marketing

  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.
Reading: Huawei Pulls The Pin On The Raiders: What We Can Learn About Sports Sponsorship
Share
B&TB&T
Subscribe
Search
  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Technology
  • Regulars
    • Agency Scorecards
    • Best of the Best
    • Campaigns of the Month
    • CMO Power List
    • CMOs to Watch
    • Culture Bites
    • Fast 10
    • New Business Winners
    • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Jobs
  • Awards
    • 30 Under 30
    • B&T Awards
    • Cairns Crocodiles
    • Women In Media
    • Women Leading Tech
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.
B&T > Media > Huawei Pulls The Pin On The Raiders: What We Can Learn About Sports Sponsorship
Media

Huawei Pulls The Pin On The Raiders: What We Can Learn About Sports Sponsorship

Staff Writers
Published on: 1st September 2020 at 9:56 AM
Staff Writers
Share
3 Min Read
SHARE

Chinese telco Huawei shocked many on Monday when it announced it would be quitting its major sponsorship with the Canberra Raiders at the end of the year.

Huawei will finish up the decade-long partnership at the end of this year, despite the fact it signed a new deal last year running through until the end of 2021.

Huawei’s call to pull the pin on the sponsorship deal can ultimately be traced back to the 2018 Turnbull Government’s decision to ban Huawei from taking part in the construction of Australia’s 5G network.

“This is a direct result of the 5G ban and the negative business environment at the moment for Chinese companies in Australia,” Huawei Australia’s Jeremy Mitchell said.

“Unfortunately Huawei has been caught in the middle of a great trade war. The effect on our business is greater than we expected.”

Mitchell confirmed the 5G ban has significantly harmed the company’s Australian operations – which has been reduced from 1,000 staff to 100 in a few years.

And while there are numerous political forces at play in the Raiders/Huawei deal, the termination of the deal is indicative of a shifting attitude towards sports sponsorships.

Sports and entertainment agency MKTG recently surveyed 800 marketers from across 30 countries to gather a detailed understanding of the views and sentiment toward the sponsorship, sports and entertainment market.

While 90 per cent of respondents said sponsorships can help brands create a meaningful connection with customers, there is a shifting attitude in what these sponsorships should look like.

Exposure is no longer enough for brands to justify sponsorship deal – with brands now demanding authentic connections.

“A key trend from our study is the rapid shift in sentiment towards whether brands should pay for all their rights or just those that are used,” said MKTG’s national managing director Matt Connell.

“Pre-pandemic, there was an alignment between brands and right holders.

“Fast forward two months and 72 per cent of brands now say that fixed sponsorship may not be the only way forward. This may signal a shift in how rights and partnerships are constructed in the long run.”

And while sponsoring the Raiders gave Huawei exposure on the highest level – last year’s NRL Grand Final – its decision to exit the NRL shows that this is no longer enough.

 

Join more than 30,000 advertising industry experts
Get all the latest advertising and media news direct to your inbox from B&T.

No related posts.

TAGGED: canberra raiders, Huawei, NRL
Share
Staff Writers
By Staff Writers
Follow:
Staff Writers represent B&T's team of award-winning reporters. Here, you'll find articles crafted with industry experience spanning over 50 years. Our team of specialists brings together a wealth of knowledge and a commitment to delivering insightful, topical, and breaking news. With a deep understanding of advertising and media, our Staff Writers are dedicated to providing industry-leading analysis and reporting, both shaping the conversation and setting the benchmark for excellence.

Latest News

ThinkNewsBrands & Roy Morgan Hail News As More Popular Than Coffee, Vegetables
19/05/2025
Weekend TV Ratings: Eurovision Served Up Saunas, Espressos & Divas, With Austria Taking The Win
19/05/2025
ARN ‘Go Rogue’ With Kyle & Jackie O To Win Over The Victorians
19/05/2025
Are Media Snatches Up Nisar Malik From Nine Network
19/05/2025
//

B&T is Australia’s leading news publication magazine for the advertising, marketing, media and PR industries.

 

B&T is owned by parent company The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.

About B&T

  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise

Top Categories

  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Opinion
  • Technology
  • TV Ratings

Sign Up for Our Newsletter



B&TB&T
Follow US
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Register Lost your password?