Who’s next for the English Premier League?
A place in the English Premier League is worth a minimum of £100 million to every club, making it the richest league in the world its current sponsors, Barclays, invest around £40 million each year for naming rights.
The EPL is a global phenomenon but, according to media reports, senior managers at Barclays say it has ‘zero impact’ in the UK. So the search is on for a replacement in case Barclays don’t have the appetite to renew at the end of the 2016-16 season. Logic suggests that it will not necessarily be a British company but a brand with global marketing ambitions which reflect the EPL footprint and which has the money to meet rights fees likely to start at £200 million or so. Chances are that global brands based in Asia will be top of the Premier League’s hit list as they work on the renewals process. “It would be no surprise to see an Asian-based global brand take on the sponsorship of the English Premier League if Barclays don’t extend their £40 million a year deal after the 2015-16 season. Their ambitions would seem a better fit for the EPL footprint, enabling them to extract maximum value.”