German automotive manufacturer Audi has agreed a deal to serve as the presenting sponsor of the International Champions Cup when the pre-season club football tournament expands to Australia next year.
Launched in 2013 in the United States by competition organiser RSE Ventures, the International Champions Cup has featured a host of leading club teams from around the world. The Australian tournament will run parallel to its North American counterpart from July 18-24 at Melbourne Cricket Ground, featuring Uefa Champions League holder Real Madrid, an Italian Serie A club and two other teams.
Audi already has a commercial partnership in place with Real Madrid and expands its football portfolio to include the International Champions Cup under the agreement with sports marketing company TLA Worldwide, which has been appointed alongside Nine Live to organise and promote the tournament in Australia from 2015 to 2018.
Andrew Doyle, Audi Australia’s managing director, said: “This event is an exciting first for Australia, and works well with Audi’s global sponsorship of the sport of football. We are a partner to Real Madrid and a number of the world’s biggest teams, so it’s the ideal opportunity for us to support world-class players and teams coming to Australia to engage with football fans and Audi customers. The high profile of this event is an excellent platform for us to generate awareness in Victoria in 2015.”
Additionally, Australian telecommunications and media company Telstra will partner the tournament and offer an exclusive 48-hour ticket pre-sale opportunity for customers through its loyalty programme.
The terms for Audi and Telstra’s sponsorship of the International Champions Cup were not disclosed.
Beer brand Guinness is the title sponsor of the US version of the competition, which was won this season by Manchester United.