Euro 2020 is in full swing. Sport for Business takes you inside the commercial world of each of the 24 nations football economies looking at the size of the sport and the commercial partnerships that are in place at each.
Italy
Size of the Game
Italy is one of the giants of the sport having won the World Cup on four occasions and the European Championships once.
There are 1.1 million registered adult footballers.
In 2019 the game generated €3.8 billion in revenue following a 19.7 per cent increase in commercial revenue and an 11.8 per cent rise in media rights.
The Italian FA states that for every €1 invested by the government in the sport, it generates €16.10 in tax and social security contributions.
€36 million was invested in that year in development of the national teams.
Sponsorship
Sponsorship revenue in the latest four-year cycle has risen to €170 million from 12 principal commercial partners.
Puma has been the kit sponsor since 2003
Telecom Italia is the main sponsor of the Italian National Teams and of Serie A, the domestic league. Its current deal was signed for four years in 2019.
Eni is a major gas and oil company headquartered in Rome. It came on board in 2016 and renewed in 2019 through to the end of the 2022 World Cup. Its principal area of interest and activation is in social responsibility.
Fiat is the official vehicle partner and has its branding on training kits. It renewed its long term partnership for another four years in 2019.
Poste Italiano, the Italian postal service became a top-level partner in 2017.
Lidl Italia has been a premium partner since 2015
Aqua Lete is the official hydration partner. It is also familiar as a shirt front partner of Napoli in Serie A.
Team System is an Italian management software company and works with the Italian FA on fan engagement initiatives.
Venice Airport is an interesting partner, having come on board in 2019 and serving as the official departure and arrival airport for all teams playing on international duty.
Emporio Armani is the official Luxury and Fashion Outfitter and has been since 2019.
Deliveroo is the final Official partner after signing up also in 2019.
Among the next level of Official partners are Alitalia providing flight services, Vivaticket providing ticketing, Fonzies and Ringo as official snacks, Actimel and Equilibra in the wellness space, Conte in insurance and Peroni as the official beer.
Peroni was involved as a partner through the 1990s and up until the World Cup triumph in 2006
Twitter @Azzurri 614,000 followers
Switzerland
Size of the Game
Switzerland has appeared at 11 World Cup Finals including each of the last four. It hosted the Finals in 1954 when it achieved its best position of reaching the quarter-finals.
It co-hosted the 2008 European Championships with Austria.
Switzerland has 278,929 licensed adult footballers.
It forecast a loss for 2020 of just over €1 million
Sponsorship
Puma has been the official kit supplier since 1998.
Credit Suisse, the investment bank which is based out of Zurich has been the principal commercial partner of Swiss Football since the early 1990’s. The current deal was extended in 2019 and will run until 2024.
Volkswagen is the official vehicle partner, a position it has held since 2014.
Swiss Air is the official airline partner since 2016 and provides flight services to all international teams.
Inevitably Switzerland has an official timekeeper, Carl F Bucherer who have held the position since 2016.
Turkey
Size of the Game
Turkey’s best performance in international football came at the 2002 FIFA World Cup when it finished third.
It has been a regular bidder to host major Championships but yet to get one over the line.
The country has just over 600,000 licensed adult footballers.
There are no readily available financial statistics
Sponsorship
Nike has been the official kit supplier since 2003.
Sportoto, the Turkish national sports betting monopoly is the main commercial partner of the Turkish FA and the domestic league.
Mercedes Benz is the official vehicle partner, a position it has held since 1996.
Turkcell, the mobile phone operator has been a commercial partner since 2010.
Turkish Airlines has been the official airline partner since 2008.
Coca Cola, McDonalds and Braun are international brands that have an association with the Turkish FA alongside local firms in fuel, healthcare, financial services and household appliances.
In 2020 BTCTurk became one of the world’s first national partners of an FA in the world of Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency.
Wales
Size of the Game
Wales had their best ever performance in European competition when reaching the Semi-Final of the 2016 European Championships.
In 2019 it reported revenues of a modest £12.9 million
Sponsorship
Adidas has been the official kit supplier since 2013.
BT came on board as the main commercial partner in a five-year deal running through to 2024. It is part of a deal encompassing the English, Scottish and Northern Irish FA’s
JD Sports is the official retail partner with exclusive rights to branded merchandise. In 2019 it extended to a seven-year partnership where it is now the naming partner for the top three divisions of the Welsh league.
MG is the official vehicle partner, a position it took up on a three-year deal in 2019.
McDonalds has been a grassroots partner dating back over two decades.
Boots is a partner as part of its combined deal with the English, Scottish and Northern Irish Associations and the FAI.
Other partners in Wales include Hawes and Curtis as the official tailor; Princes Gate as official water, Penderyn as official spirit; Conotoxia as official Money Partner; Precision Training, Science in Sport and Clarity Sports in training, nutrition and travel.
Twitter @FA Wales 267,000 followers
UEFA and Heineken are among the 250+ members of the Sport for Business network of sporting and business organisations working together across a number of key areas.
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