Irish Cider Company Bulmers is to be the new sponsor of the Cheltenham Gold Cup and overall Presenting Partner of the entire Cheltenham Festival.
It will do so under the international name of Magners, the brand that it sells under outside of Ireland.
The overall deal will be for an initial four years, running to 2022 and is a major investment on behalf of the company, likely stretching to beyond €1 Million over the course of the deal.
The Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup is one of the biggest events in the Irish sporting calendar, despite not taking place in Ireland.
Stretching back to the days of Arkle in the 1960’s Cheltenham has had a huge hold over the Irish imagination, enabling us to pit our best against those of England in an annual contest.
Of late the affair has been almost too one-sided with Irish trained horse carrying all before them, winning 17 races earlier this year, the second highest total ever.
Prize money on offer at the 2018 Festival was up seven per cent to a total of £4.6 Million, while the crowds in attendance topped 260,000 over the course of four days.
This makes it the fourth biggest sporting event in the UK, in terms of the total number of visitors, with approximately one-third of tickets sold in 2018 going to Irish race-goers.
The Festival is broadcast here on TV3 using coverage from ITV who hold the broadcast rights in Britain.
“Magners Cider is 100 per cent Irish, made in Clonmel, County Tipperary, where William Magner first started making cider over 80 years ago,” said Jason Ash, Chief Marketing Officer at C&C Group, the parent company of the Bulmers and Magners Brand.
“Famous for our Irish heritage, sociability and positive view on life we are truly excited to put our name to the most prestigious Jump race in Europe and partner with one of the UK’s best sporting and social occasions as a platform to engage fans and bring Magners to a global audience.”
“We see our partnership with The Festival™ and the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup as a perfect fit, providing a year-round platform to bring to life our new “100% Irish” positioning to consumers in the UK and internationally.”
“We look forward to working with The Jockey Club to engage horse racing fans across multiple platforms, including at The Festival, in the On and Off-trades, and via advertising, digital and social activation.”
“To work with Magners over the next four years is something our whole team is hugely looking forward to,” added Ian Renton, Cheltenham and South West Regional Director for Jockey Club Racecourses.
“I believe this partnership with a brand of provenance and heritage like Magners will provide a big opportunity for both parties.”
“In the build-up to The Festival each year, a third of the tickets purchased are by Irish race-goers, so we feel this partnership is a great fit and we’re delighted to be working alongside a partner with such a strong Irish heritage and appeal in the UK, Ireland and beyond.”
“2019 will be the first time The Festival has had a Presenting Partner to promote the whole event to an even wider audience.”
Sign up today for our free daily news digest covering the commercial world of sport or discover the benefits of becoming a full member alongside the many leading organisations whom we serve.
