Coca-Cola Gains Upper Hand as Pepsi Pulls Out of FA Sponsorship
Pepsi's decision to end their £4 million-a-year partnership with the Football Association (FA) has given arch-rivals Coca-Cola the upper hand in securing a new sponsorship deal. The move comes after Coca-Cola expanded their football operations, securing major contracts with the World Cup, the Football League, and England's top player Wayne Rooney. The FA plans to replace Pepsi with a sports energy drinks brand, with Coca-Cola's Powerade likely to be a front-runner for the deal.
Key Takeaways:
- Pepsi's sponsorship relationship with the FA was deemed unsuccessful, with the company instead focusing on player deals, TV commercials, and a new reality football talent show.
- Former FA technical director Les Reed remains unpaid for £600,000, 20 months after losing his job, highlighting the FA's handling of his departure.
- Kevin Shine's appointment as England bowling coach was competed for by Allan Donald and Bruce Reid, despite their supposed interest being a publicity ploy to improve their contracts elsewhere.
- The new Sportsman newspaper is set to launch around the Cheltenham Festival in March and is hoping to attract high-profile football columns and staff.
- BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek, hosted by Garry Richardson, has been awarded a one-year production contract without a tender process.
- Carlsberg has partnered with Wembley, with a photocall to be held on Olympic Way, overlooking a 50-metre chasm that has been exposed due to the delayed construction of the pedestrian way building site.
Statistics:
- £4 million: The annual value of Pepsi's FA sponsorship deal
- 20 months: The time Les Reed has been waiting for a satisfactory payoff from the FA
- £600,000: The amount Reed is owed by the FA
- 50 metres: The width of the chasm between Wimbledon Stadium and the pedestrian way building site
- £1.5 trillion: The estimated value of the global sports industry (BBC Sport)
Sources:
- The Daily Mail
- BBC Sport
- Press Association