Nissan scores Global UEFA Champions League partnership deal

Press release

Published April 7th, 2014 - 07:36 GMT

Al Bawaba

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today confirmed a four-year global partnership with the UEFA Champions League including the UEFA Super Cup. This agreement represents the Japanese manufacturer’s largest ever sponsorship deal and will establish Nissan as an official partner worldwide from 2014/15 to and including the 2017/18 seasons.

“Innovating to excite is what Nissan does, and as partners with UEFA we are looking to introduce new ways in which to enrich the UEFA Champions League experience,” said Roel de Vries, Corporate Vice President and Global Head of Marketing and Communications for Nissan. “Europe’s most prestigious football competition will be an important global platform for Nissan, and our aim is to show fans all over the world the excitement of both football and our cars. Both are created by amazing people who have a passion for what they do.”

As an official partner, Nissan will have extensive rights to the matches, pre-match training sessions, content, media, hospitality, events and the Final.

Commenting on the agreement, Guy-Laurent Epstein, Marketing Director of UEFA Events SA, said: “We are delighted to have Nissan as an official partner of the UEFA Champions League as of next season. Nissan is a truly leading global company and is one of the largest automotive groups in the world. We feel that the partnership will provide a great deal of innovation and excitement across all markets worldwide, and we are convinced that Nissan can use the platform that the UEFA Champions League offers to further build on their current success.”

According to de Vries, the UEFA Champions League has a cumulative television audience of over 4 billion a season and the deal will bring Nissan to new audiences and keep the brand at the fore over the course of the European football calendar.

“The UEFA Champions League’s appeal reaches right around the world, and some of the most passionate football fans are to be found here in the Middle East,” said Samir Cherfan, Managing Director, Nissan Middle East. “As such, the benefits of Nissan’s historic partnership will be felt here where we can share in the excitement of the world’s most competitive championship with our customers. We look forward to the 2014 season kick off.”

The UEFA Champions League is another example of Nissan’s dedication to exciting sports which already includes the brand’s proud sponsorship of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Olympic Teams GB and Mexico, Africa Cup of Nations, NCAA Football, Heisman Trophy, Canadian Football League and GT-R ambassador Usain Bolt – a renowned football fan.

Background Information

Nissan Middle East

Nissan’s heritage in the Middle East goes way back to 1957, when the first Nissan vehicle was sold in Saudi Arabia. Since then the Nissan Legacy has taken deep roots in the hearts of the Middle East people by becoming an integral part of their lives.

Currently Nissan is one of the most popular and successful automobile brands in the Middle East boasting of a strong line-up ranging from popular passenger cars to powerful 4x4 series and commercial vehicles.

In its quest to closely understand the local needs of its customers, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. in June, 1994 set up a regional Middle East head quarters in Dubai, thus becoming the first Japanese car manufacturer to accomplish this feat. The Nissan Middle East FZE office houses a highly sophisticated training center which serves as an excellent training ground for undertaking Nissan customer care and service activities.