Man U sign Epson as sponsor
Share
Epson says it will use Manchester United’s global fan base to increase brand awareness after confirming it has agreed to become a worldwide sponsor of the Premier League club.
The printer, projector and scanner maker is now the club’s “official office equipment partner”. The value and duration of the deal were not disclosed but it is understood to be a two-year agreement worth £3m.
Minoru Usui, Epson’s global president, says: “The partnership with Manchester United aligns Epson with an exciting and globally recognised brand, bringing us closer to our customers worldwide.”
News of the deal comes just weeks after Epson was reported to be readying a bid to buy the club from owners the Glazer family. Rumours circulated after the Glazers cleared £220m in high-interest PIK loans.
Clearing the debt reduced the club’s burden to £526m but has not satisfied fans groups such as the Manchester United Supporters Trust, which is angry with the debts that the Glazers have saddled the club with.
Interest payments on the PIK loans offset improved commercial revenue earned from sponsorship deals with the likes of Nike and Aon last year.
The club’s commercial revenue increased 16.5% to £81.4m in the year to 30 June but the club registered a £67m loss because of interest payments and a £67m one-off charge relating to a bond issue.
YouGov Insight:
Sport
- 78% of UK sport followers say that they follow football on the television, while 1 in 4 say that they follow football ’live at the event’.
- 82% of men watch football on TV and a third go to live games. 72% of women watch football on TV but only 15% attend live.
- 35% of UK sport followers say that they watch rugby union on television, whereas only 20% say that they watch rugby league.
- Of those who watch live sport, 52% bought a snack the last time they were at an event while 43% said they bought an alcoholic drink.
- It’s a dead heat between those who prefer to watch sport from the comfort of their living room and those who like to be in the thick of the action at live events (24% each).
Click here for more information on this YouGov market report
