O2 has marked the beginning of its title sponsorship of the Belfast Giants with a striking city-centre activation built around the reveal of the club’s new 2026/27 jerseys.

Ahead of the formal launch, a giant block of ice was installed in Belfast’s Victoria Square, with a mystery object frozen inside.

Over the course of 48 hours, the ice gradually melted, revealing the first Belfast Giants jersey with the O2 branding prominently across the front.

Supporters and passers-by were encouraged to guess what was hidden inside, with the activation extended onto social media through @O2UK and the #O2IceBreaker hashtag.

A winner drawn from the correct entries received the jersey from the installation, signed by the Giants team.

O2 became title sponsor of the Belfast Giants as part of the long-term agreement between Virgin Media O2 and The Odyssey Trust which has also seen the wider Odyssey complex rebranded as The O2 Belfast.

It represents O2’s first professional ice hockey sponsorship and places the Belfast Giants alongside some of the company’s other major sporting partnerships.

The full 2026/27 collection was unveiled on Friday evening, August 21st, with home, away, alternate and Challenge Cup jerseys revealed to supporters.

The home uniform will, for the first time, feature teal across the jersey, shorts and socks, reinforcing one of the strongest visual elements of the Giants identity.

The away jersey is predominantly white, while the alternate kit is black.

The Challenge Cup design takes a different direction while retaining ten per cent of the club’s traditional teal colouring.

The launch forms part of a wider “Legends. Not Myths” campaign, featuring Giants supporters alongside familiar Belfast sporting personalities, including former world boxing champion Carl Frampton and Giants Head Coach Adam Keefe.

Hundreds of supporters attended the Victoria Square activation, where Giants captain David Goodwin was joined by Mack Stewart, Jake Kupsky and Nic Guay in meeting fans and signing merchandise.

“Seeing the O2 logo on the new Belfast Giants jersey marks an exciting start to our partnership with the team,” said Gareth Griffiths, Director of Partnerships and Sponsorships at Virgin Media O2.

The commercial relationship is also being activated through O2 customer benefits.

Priority from O2 members are being offered a 20 per cent discount on the new Giants jerseys, alongside 48-hour pre-sale access to season tickets.

O2 has also upgraded 4G and 5G+ capacity throughout The O2 Belfast, linking the sponsorship directly with the customer experience inside the venue.

 


Sport for Business Perspective

The strongest sponsorship launches give supporters something to participate in rather than simply something to look at.

O2’s Belfast Giants reveal delivered that through the combination of location, anticipation and social interaction.

The ice installation provided the creative hook, while the jersey, venue branding, customer benefits and improved connectivity demonstrate how the wider partnership can operate across multiple parts of the fan experience.

It is an effective example of turning a relatively traditional sponsorship asset — the front of a shirt — into something capable of generating attention well beyond the jersey itself.

 

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Image Credit: Irish Sailing

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