Vodafone has announced it is to end its long term sponsorship of Australian Cricket at the end of the next summer season.  The deal, worth an estimated €8 million per annum has been in place since 2001 but will end before the 2013/14 season.
That gives Cricket Australia a home Ashes series against England as the start point for attracting a new long term partner.
“This has been a great relationship stretching over many years,” said Mike McKenna of Cricket Australia. “Like all sports sponsorship though there comes a time when the sponsor’s objectives have been met and they decide to move on to other properties.”
Reports suggest the company is diverting the sponsorship money towards network and customer service improvements.
Among the companies likely to be approached for a new deal would be Emirates who are already one of the largest carriers from the region and who already have an association with the sport in other jurisdictions.
Cricket Ireland has a long term sponsorship in place with RSA Insurance and may harbour dreams that with test status in the development plan before 2020, that an Irish team may be playing a test series against Australia in the lifetime of whatever new partnership emerges.
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