Dubai: Emirates airline have confirmed they are in shirt sponsorship negotiations with Spanish football giants Real Madrid. Rumours of a possible four to six-year deal, said to be worth up to €30 million (Dh144 million) a year, circulated in the Spanish press on Friday.
When contacted by Gulf News, a spokesperson at the airline said: “Yes we confirm that we are talking to Real Madrid about shirt sponsorship but the contract is not finalised yet.”
A spokesperson of the airline was earlier quoted by the international media as: “We are signing in a few weeks time. Sports sponsorship has worked well for us. The beauty of sponsorship is that it’s exclusive.”
Emirates currently has an agreement with Real Madrid to advertise on its billboards at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, as well as some hospitality rights. The airline is also currently the shirt sponsor for English Premier League club Arsenal, French club Paris Saint Germain and Italian Serie A outfit AC Milan.
Only last February, Emirates - who have leveraged on sports sponsorships - signed a five-year deal with motorsport company Formula One World said to be worth over $10 million (Dh36.7 million), taking the total sponsorship spend by Emirates this year to around Dh1 billion.
