The Cronulla Sharks have put their stadium’s naming rights up for auction, with its deal with PointsBet coming to a close at the end of the year. Meanwhile, Optus Sport has locked in its partners for the UEFA Euro 2024.
Welcome back to B&T’s Spotlight on Sponsors series, where we break down all the major sponsorship news from inside the sporting world.
So, without further ado, here are the biggest sponsorship stories coming out of the sporting world over the last week.
Foot Locker x Boomers
Basketball Australia and Foot Locker have announced a new partnership that will see the global footwear and apparel retailer join as a major partner of the Australian men’s national basketball team, the Boomers. The investment solidifies Foot Locker’s commitment to hoops and sneaker culture and its unwavering support for the growth and development of basketball at all levels in Australia.
As part of the partnership, the Boomers will proudly sport the Foot Locker logo on their official game day shorts, debuting at the Ford BALLIN’24 series at John Cain Arena in July before continuing with their pre-Olympics exhibition matches in Abu Dhabi against the USA and Serbia. Foot Locker will receive extensive media exposure across various platforms, including on-court signage during national broadcasts and will supply prizes for the half-time competitions during the highly-anticipated Boomers vs China games. Additionally, Foot Locker will support the Boomers and Opals Super Camp in July and provide exclusive deals and prizes for the 500 participants. The Super Camp will serve as a pivotal platform for cultivating talent and instilling a passion for the game in the next generation of basketball athletes.
To connect and engage Foot Locker customers and the wider basketball community, select players from the Boomers squad will make their first appearance at the Foot Locker store at QV, Melbourne, on Wednesday, June 26th, for a series of exclusive meet-and-greets.
“Teaming up with Foot Locker feels like a homecoming for me,” said Boomers point guard Josh Giddey. “Growing up, Foot Locker was where I’d go to gear up for game day and now, in a year we strive for gold, they are by our side for this journey. I am excited to rep our new game day kit, meet with our passionate Foot Locker fans, and see the impact of this partnership on the basketball community nationwide”.
“It’s great to have Foot Locker as a supporter of the Boomers program adding to their ongoing contributions to Australian basketball,” said Jason Smith, Basketball Australia’s EGM of High Performance. “We have a big year ahead and our success on the court is only made possible with partners like Foot Locker behind us.”
Pizza Hut x Supercars
Two of Australia’s most-loved brands, Supercars and Pizza Hut, have joined forces to launch an innovative marketing campaign that offers fans convenience and the opportunity to leave a lasting mark on the iconic Repco Bathurst 1000.
The campaign, developed by the Supercars marketing team and Pizza Hut, gives people the chance to redesign Supercars driver Macauley Jones’ #96 Pizza Hut Chevrolet Camaro by colouring in the stencil found on special large Pizza Hut boxes currently on the market.
To make it easier for fans to obtain this unique pizza box, Pizza Hut customers can now order their favourite pizzas directly through the Supercars app.
The winner of the competition will take home an incredible prize package, including two general admission tickets to the 2024 Repco Bathurst 1000 in October, two Repco Bathurst 1000 merchandise packs and a pair of money-can’t-buy-experiences: two-course car rides and two grid walks.
The winning design will be featured in a 2.5-metre x 12-metre mural in the heart of Bathurst for the four weeks leading up to this year’s Great Race.
Pizza Hut has also expanded the distribution of its popular Supercars Super Spicy Meatlovers. Usually only available on Supercars race weekends, it is now available all week for a special six-week period.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Supercars on this innovative promotion, reflecting our commitment to brand modernity and engaging with our customers in new and exciting ways. Integrating Pizza Hut ordering into the Supercars app is a groundbreaking development that enhances the race day experience and offers our customers convenient access to their favourite pizzas anytime,” said Pizza Hut CEO, Phil Reed.
“Two beloved brands, a popular Supercars driver, a unique promotion, great prizes and pizza – it’s a fantastic combination and a great example of why the Supercars and Pizza Hut partnership works so well,” said Supercars head of marketing, Brenda Younes.
“We are always looking for unique and memorable experiences for our fans, and Pizza Hut has enabled us to deliver several great new experiences at once”.
PointsBet x Cronulla Sharks
The Cronulla Sharks have announced the exclusive naming rights to its currently named PointsBet Stadium will become available at the end of this year.
PointsBet entered an exclusive six-year naming rights deal for Sharks Stadium in 2019, which expires in December 2024. The ASX-listed betting agency confessed that under different circumstances, it would have been “very keen to renew.”
“Community attitudes to gambling advertising have changed, and stadium naming rights and perimeter signage are no longer appropriate for the category,” said PointsBet Australia CEO, Andrew Catterall.
Catterall said he expects the Albanese government to announce a new gambling advertising regime that continues to allow for a safe and responsible approach. “We will continue our long-term support for the Sharks through a different partnership arrangement,” Catterall said. Any new agreement will align with the expectations of the wider community under what we anticipate to be a reformed national gambling advertising regime.”
“We respect PointsBet’s decision given their changing operating environment and are delighted they will continue to invest in the Sharks. This has been a wonderful partnership, and we look forward to continuing to work with Andrew and his team,” said Sharks CEO Dino Mezzatesta.
Employsure x GWS Giants
Peninsula Employsure and BrightHR have announced their season-long partnership with the Greater Western Sydney GIANTS with the shared goal of supporting Australian communities.
“The foundation of our partnership is in supporting businesses across the country that work every day to keep our communities thriving, whether it be the tuckshop on the corner or the town watering hole,” said David Price, CEO of BrightHR ANZ and Peninsula Employsure ANZ.
“Almost all Australian businesses are small-to-medium enterprises, and they exhibit many of the same qualities that are valuable in sport: teamwork, meeting performance goals, and having a committed mindset when it comes to achieving success. It’s clear why business and sport are the perfect match”.
Working together closely, Peninsula Employsure and BrightHR offer expert advice and technology for workplace relations so that Australian employers can focus on doing business.
“It takes hard work, soft skills, and, most importantly, resilience to run a business or be a professional AFL player. Injuries and losses are common in business and sport. But it’s preserving through setbacks and overcoming diversity that leads to success in both games,” said Price.
The partnership marks an exciting chapter for the GIANTS, Peninsula Employsure and BrightHR as they embark on a journey of mutual growth, success and shared impact within their respective domains.
“We’re excited to welcome Peninsula Employsure and BrightHR to the GIANTS family and feel there’s great synergy between our two organisations,” said Alex Stanley, GIANTS executive general manager of Commercial. “We’re looking forward to the journey together”.
Optus Sport x UEFA Euro 2024
Optus Sport has named Hisense, Hungry Jack’s, TAB, and Ford partners and sponsors for its upcoming coverage of UEFA EURO 2024.
Complementing the on-screen action, brands are set to connect with football fans through Optus Sport’s holistic commercial offering, which seamlessly integrates live studio hosting, ancillary programming, live and Video On-Demand (VOD) match streaming across a highly engaged ecosystem.
“We are thrilled to be working with some amazing brands across this tournament,” said Howard Rees, head of Optus Sport. “We know what these huge international tournaments mean to football fans and how invested they will be throughout the coming weeks”.
“The UEFA EURO 2020 final between England and Italy is still the most watched football match in Optus Sport history, so we’re expecting strong numbers this time around as well”.
“We are delighted that our broadcast partners and sponsors have shared our excitement for the tournament and will be able to experience firsthand how powerfully football connects with communities across Australia”.
