Manchester United could lose AIG shirt sponsor
Manchester United could lose their lucrative shirt sponsorship deal with AIG after all, as the American insurance giants look to cut costs.
The European champions are still owed half of the money on the £56million agreement they sealed with AIG two years ago.
After being rescued from meltdown by a £43billion loan from the American government last month, AIG have now embarked on a massive moneysaving exercise.
That is likely to spell bad news for United - and the fans who have bought football shirts with the AIG logo.
A new sponsorship deal would take time to secure and is unlikely to be as lucrative as the AIG agreement.
Meanwhile Budweiser has extended its sponsorship of Manchester United through the 2009/10 season.
The beer brand, which has partnered the Premier League champions since 2002, will continue to have exclusive pouring rights at concessions as well as digital on-field signage displayed in English and Mandarin, a move designed to tap in to Manchester United’s substantial Chinese fan base.
As part of the deal, Budweiser can use United player’s including recently signed Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov in its advertising.
The beer brand can also use club imagery for point-of-sale materials and packaging worldwide.
Budweiser has been active in football sponsorship for over twenty years as “official beer” sponsor of the FIFA World Cup since 1986 and sponsor of the English Premier League since 2002.
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Comments
Personally I\'d never heard of AIG before they sponsored United, so the deal must have increased their presence and people\'s awareness of them immensely. It\'d be daft to cancel such a huge part of their advertising, whatever the cost.
Another company will surely be able to match the deal, if it were to end early and their logo would probably not look as ugly as AIG\'s, either.
RE: \"As part of the deal, Budweiser can use United players ... in its advertising.\"
What if United were to sign the \"next Ronaldo\" who just so happened to be Muslim? Budweiser would be eager to slap his megastar mug and their logo on every billboard from Boston to Beijing. However, his religous beliefs would not allow for him to appear in such advertising (for alcohol). Nonetheless it would still be a breach of the contract agreement between the club and the company and Budweiser wouldn\'t be happy campers.
I know this is unlikely to every happen at United, but similar cases of alcohol sponsored teams and muslim players can be found in cricket.
The home shirt will be replaced next season anyway.
So they\'d get the money of a new sponsor and a bucketload of money from selling the new kit, they\'d be quids in anyway.
This goes for any shit takers
Liverpool fans can win a title since the 80\'s stealing a European Cup doesn\'t cout I see Everton win a title than these assholes
Chelsea Fans are truly the glory hunters that since 04 I have seen a rise of their fans well there was more Leeds fans than Chelsea fans
Manchester City a shit team that claims that they are the only true Manchester team while they don\'t realize that the UNITED goes for all Greater Manchester. Can win anything never going to even with their new found sheik money
If your from other team that feels leftout than censored you too.
As for the well United will \' have\' to change their kits for next season.
They were going to anyway as the present shirt is in year 2 of the 2 year cycle, the away and third kits will be changed anyway as part of their cycle. As I have always said those who don\'t like it just do not bother buying the shirts etc. Maybe buy training shirts instead as not too many people will know which year is which.
As for Budweiser.
Why is it team get sponcered by lager firm that taste like piss.
United with Bidweiser, Liverpool with Carlsberg, Celtic&Rangers with Carling.And it goes on(QPR with Kingfisher).
Let us hope that the Reading Waitrose sponcership is the start of a whole new trend.
Good beers, wines and foods get to sponcer the teams, or better still charities as with Villa and Acorn.