NYON, Switzerland: UEFA announced Tuesday the extension of adidas’ partnership with the Champions League for the 2018-21 cycle as Official Match Ball Supplier, continuing its relationship with the German sportswear company which began in 2001.
The agreement also covers the right to supply the official match balls for UEFA’s Super Cup, Youth League and Futsal Champions League between 2018 and 2021.
The Champions League continues to be the most watched annual sporting competition on the planet, with a cumulative television audience of 3.7 billion per season. The 2018 Champions League final in Kyiv this weekend, between Real Madrid CF and Liverpool FC, will be aired in over 200 countries and will have an estimated reach of 350 million viewers worldwide, confirming its status as the world’s most watched annual sporting event.
As the official matchball supplier of Europe’s premier club competition, adidas will continue to supply matchballs for use in all games played in the Champions League, which will continue the manufacturer’s long-standing position as a key supporter of European football.
Commenting on the agreement, Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA Events SA marketing director, said: “adidas has been a valued partner of the UEFA Champions League since we joined forces in 2001, and we are delighted that we will be continuing our relationship for another three seasons. Not only is adidas a leader in its field, it also has an extensive heritage in football, so we look forward to continuing our relationship as we enter a new UEFA Champions League cycle.”
This is the seventh partnership announcement for the 2018-21 sponsorship sales process for the Champions League, with Heineken, Nissan, PepsiCo, Mastercard and Gazprom signing new renewal deals, while Santander has joined as a new partner. The worldwide sales of all UEFA club competition sponsorship rights are being carried out by TEAM Marketing AG on UEFA’s behalf.
