English Premier League champions Chelsea have said goodbye to one high profile Asian sponsor and welcomed another.
In a substantial five year £40 million a year deal the Yokohama Tyres logo will appear on the Chelsea shirts replacing the familiar Samsung logo, the Korean company and Chelsea had enjoyed a successful relationship since 2005.
The deal with Yokohama, signed earlier this year, is larger than deals currently in place at some of Europe’s most notable clubs such as Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
The English Premier League, which is broadcast throughout Asia each week during the season, provides a great platform for sponsors to reach hundreds of millions of viewers for almost two hours. This new deal highlights the potential for the top clubs with genuine global followings to monetise their brand.
A Chelsea spokesman said, ‘We believe that Yokohama will play a key role in helping us drive our global expansion in international markets such as the US, where they have operated with distinction for many years. Also, of course, Chelsea having such an esteemed and historic Japanese company as our partner enables us to accelerate our development in their home market too.
‘We are also looking forward to working with Yokohama on our community projects around the world through the Chelsea Foundation, when together we can use the power of sport as a force for good.
