PARIS: LFP, French football’s governing body, announced here Wednesday a major agreement that grants Indian off-road tyre major BKT naming rights to Ligue 2, France’s second tier club football league.
The LFP confirmed Wednesday that BKT will the new title sponsor of the competition, which will be named Ligue 2 BTK. The four-year agreement, financial terms for which were not disclosed, kicks off from the start of the 2020/21 season.
With the Coupe de la Ligue, for which BKT is currently the title sponsor, to be discontinued next season, the Indian multinational wished to continue its partnership with French professional football by acquiring the naming rights of another emblematic competition in the country, LFP cofirmed.
It bears noting that when the Mumbai-headquartered conglomerate was announced as the title sponsor of the Coupe de la Ligue in September 2018, the deal was due to run until 2024 and reportedly worth around €3 million ($3.3m) per year. But last September the LFP voted to suspend the competition indefinitely to “reduce the season schedule” (read give up on the competition due to declining interest from broadcasters for the property.
An official statement from LFP reads: “The LFP is very happy and proud to continue its association with BKT. Ligue 2 will now benefit from the many actions that have been employed by BTK in the Coupe de la Ligue, such as activation concepts that the brand implements to engage football fans.
“Following the final of this season’s Coupe de la Ligue BTK, the LFP looks forward to working with its partner on the next activations which will be reserved, next year, for Ligue 2 BTK.
“Ligue 2 welcomes BKT!”
Didier Quillot, executive director general of the LFP, said: “We are very pleased to continue our partnership with BKT. It is also a new major sign of the growing attractiveness of French professional football, which sees a large Indian company renewing its confidence in the LFP to support its awareness with the French public. This agreement will also be an opportunity for the LFP to strengthen its ties in this strategic territory.”
Lucia Salmaso, CEO of BKT Europe, noted: “We are extremely happy to become the title sponsor of Ligue 2 and very satisfied with the agreement concluded with the LFP. We will continue this great experience of French football together until the end of the 2023-2024 season. We are already the title sponsor of the second division in Italian football, which is played in cities where agriculture – our main market as a producer of off-road tires and in particular for agricultural vehicles – is among the most important sectors. From next season, we will do the same in France, getting closer and closer to our users, farmers, not only on the agricultural field, but also on the pitch, sharing together the passion for football and sports.”
