The Red Devils are looking to expand their horizons across Europe
O Manchester United sent a delegation of senior officials, led by chief executive Richard Arnold, to the World Economic Forum in Davos last week in a bid to expedite the search for a shirt sponsorship deal, sources said. ESPN.
United a notice in December that its contract exists with TeamViewer, a German IT company, would be terminated in less than two years from a five-year contract worth $58 million a year.. Although the decision was written by United as a « mutual », TeamViewer shareholder Petrus wrote to the company a month earlier demanding an end to the partnership, describing it as a « terrible judgement ».
As United suffered a huge year-on-year drop from their previous $79m-a-year contract with Chevrolet when they signed TeamViewer during the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2021, sources said the cancellation of the contract with TeamViewer gave United the opportunity to reclaim their place at the top of the shirt sponsorship earnings table.
The case of the shirts Manchester City with Etihad Airways would be the largest in premier leagueworth US$64 million per year, with a partnership of US$77 million per year real Madridwith the airline Emirates, headquartered in Dubai, the largest in the world.
But with United now looking to be on a new upward trajectory under the management of Erik ten Hag – the team finishing in the top four of the Premier League table – sources say ESPN that the Old Trafford hierarchy are confident of finding a sponsor to replace TeamViewer who is willing to pay a world record to have their name on the team shirt.
And although it has been reported that Arnold, who will complete his first year in charge of United next week, has traveled to the Swiss town of Davos on instructions from the club’s owners, the Glazer family, to find a buyer for the team, sources i said i said ESPN that the purpose of the trip was to increase the search for a new sponsor as production of the kit for the 2023-24 season is due to start at the end of March.
Arnold was joined in Davos by Victoria Timpson, CEO of Alliances and Partnerships at United, and Ellie Norman, Director of Communications, who recently took up her post at Old Trafford after stepping down as head of global marketing and communications at the Form 1.
As part of its charm offensive in Davos, United a shop rented to the city with a luxury lounge designed to project the club’s image and brand with potential sponsors and partners.