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Over the past two years, Emirates Airline has significantly expanded its footprint worldwide and in the U.S. To support that strategy, the international carrier, which is owned by the government of Dubai, has ramped up the wattage behind its sports sponsorships.
In 2012, the airline began a seven-year deal as title sponsor of the US (Tennis) Open Series and the official airline of the US Open Grand Slam.
Emirates called the alliance—which industry analysts put at $100 million and runs through 2019—as the second largest among its estimated 100 sponsorship deals in terms of annual fees. Ahead of it: An estimated $200 million deal signed in 2006 (which runs through 2014) that positioned Emirates as the first global airline sponsor of the FIFA World Cup.
The 2013 Emirates US Open Series, which airs on ESPN 2 and Tennis Channel, began this past weekend and runs through August 23-24. The US Open begins August 26.
In June, Emirates signed a deal with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League for jersey-front and other sponsorship activation. Although a Division II team and league, the alliance was given global prominence by the presence of soccer icon Pelé, who is honorary president for the Cosmos.
“This is an important alliance for us, to be associated with the Cosmos, Pelé and soccer in the United States,” said Nabil Sultan, divisional SVP-revenue optimization and distribution for Emirates Air. “As with our sponsorship of the US Open tennis tournament, Emirates views our partnership with the Cosmos as a way to thank the people of New York for making Emirates one of the world’s fastest growing airlines.”
In the US, Emirates Airline currently services New York, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco Seattle and Washington, D.C., as well as Toronto, Canada. Many were initiated over the past 18 months. The airline indicated that additional cities could be added.
Emirates Airline’s sports sponsorships also include a deal signed this year as a global partner of Formula One auto racing, a jersey-front sponsorship deal with Arsenal FC of the Barclays English Premier League, golf’s DP World Championship Tour event in Dubai, rugby, horse racing, cricket and sailing.
According to Lew Sherr, chief revenue officer for the US Tennis Assn., “Other airlines were also interested in [aligning with ] the USTA, both domestic and foreign. But Emirates showed us that they really valued the Open Series and the US Open not only domestically but in global strategy. That was what, for us, placed them ahead of the others.”
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