Six Nations sponsorship proves a hard sell post Brexit
The Six Nations Championship is struggling to find a replacement sponsor willing to part with £100m in exchange for naming rights at the flagship rugby tournament, with the spectre of Brexit being attributed for the drought.
Six Nations sponsorship proves a hard sell post Brexit
Organisers had been optimistic of finding a willing partner after RBS parted company following 14 years of association but these hopes have been dashed after talks with over 100 potential sponsors proved fruitless – and just three months left on the clock before the tournament begins.
The absence of a title sponsor would hit the union hard, both in the pocket and in terms of its standing in terms of marketing potential – stalling efforts to promote the tournament across America and Europe.
According to sources cited in The Telegraph the Six Nations board have received just one offer thus far and that falls well short of the £16m per season which had been sought, potentially forcing members to strike a short-term deal that is lower than they would like in the hope that market conditions subsequently improve.
The long-running RBS deal was valued at £11m for the sponsorship of last season’s championship but was finally ended after the bank opted to row back from its global ambitions.