Heineken has deepened its relationship with UEFA, signing a further sponsorship agreement to become the official beer partner of UEFA EURO 2020.
The extension means that Heineken will be a partner of both Europe’s most prestigious club competition – the UEFA Champions League – and one of the world’s most prominent national team tournaments, EURO 2020.
The Dutch brewer has also renewed its UEFA Champions League partnership for another three years, from 2021 to 2024.
Guy-Laurent Epstein, marketing director of UEFA Events SA praised the partnership: “This is an incredibly exciting time for football in Europe. UEFA EURO 2020 will be hosted by 12 countries for the first time as part of the 60th anniversary celebrations of the competition, and the UEFA Champions League is going from strength to strength – firmly establishing itself as the world’s premier club competition.”
“We know the value Heineken brings through its outstanding engagement with fans of the UEFA Champions League across the globe and we are delighted to extend this partnership for another three seasons. We are also extremely excited as we will be able to call on Heineken’s experience and innovative marketing campaigns in the build-up to and during UEFA EURO 2020.”
The new UEFA EURO 2020 sponsorship deal includes exclusive pouring rights at stadiums, fan zones and fan villages during the tournament, LED pitch boarding exposure, digital rights, man of the match presentations, match screenings and ticket giveaways.
The brand will also activate global TV and digital integrated marketing campaigns – using its global football ambassador, UEFA Champions League and UEFA EURO winner Thierry Henry – while both major competitions will play an important role in supporting Heineken’s European and global business growth objectives.
Hans Erik Tuijt added on the deal: “Heineken has enjoyed an unrivalled relationship with football fans through our sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League,” said Heineken global sponsorship director.
“We are excited to be able to build the relationship further with the UEFA EURO 2020 partnership, meaning we will be involved in the leading European club and international tournaments. UEFA EURO 2020 will enable Heineken to create even more engaging experiences for fans across Europe and around the world. This partnership complements our other unique global platforms: Rugby World Cup, Formula One, and James Bond.”
In addition to the UEFA Champions League, Heineken’s renewed three-year agreement as a UEFA club competitions partner will include sponsorship rights for the UEFA Super Cup from 2021 until 2024. The agreement also sees Amstel become a partner of the UEFA Europa Conference League, UEFA’s new club competition that is set to launch in 2021/22, as well as continuing its sponsorship of the UEFA Europa League.
UEFA EURO 2020 will take place next summer from 12 June to 12 July. In order to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the competition, the tournament will be hosted across 12 European cities: Amsterdam, Baku, Bilbao, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Glasgow, London, Munich, Rome and Saint Petersburg.
The UEFA Champions League final will be staged in the following European cities in the coming years: Istanbul in 2020, Saint Petersburg in 2021, Munich in 2022 and London in 2023.
Insider Insight: The fruitful relationship between Heineken and UEFA is a prime example of the benefits of loyalty within sports sponsorships. The brand has become synonymous with Champions League broadcasts and will now reap the rewards of being involved in the landmark 60th anniversary of the European Championships.
