World Athletics has announced a new global sponsorship deal with UK management consulting firm Deloitte on the eve of the 2023 world championships in Budapest.
Deloitte will sponsor World Athletics and the World Athletics Series for six years from 1 January 2024 until 31 December 2029, providing consulting and sports operations services to the governing body.
Deloitte will use its expertise in data and digital transformation to help enhance the fan experience and promote athletes to engage new fans.
The firm will also analyse fan sentiment and behaviour to help develop World Athletics’ offering, as well as help the organisation develop new products and competition formats to help grow the sport of athletics.
World Athletics and Deloitte have a pre-existing relationship, with the consultancy helping run the governing body’s global stakeholder survey in 2021 to create a ‘World Plan’ for athletics from 2022 until 2030.
The Deloitte deal is a departure from World Athletics’ raft of main sponsors from Japan, which includes Seiko, TDK, Asics and most recently NTN, which agreed a top-tier sponsorship last month. Tourism body Tokyo Tokyo has also joined as a sponsor of the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest starting on 19 August, ahead of the 2025 championships that will take place in Japan’s capital.
The prevalence of Japanese sponsors is driven by the country’s advertising giant Dentsu, which holds a 10-year global media and marketing rights contract with World Athletics from 2020 through 2029.
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe, who was today (Thursday) re-elected as president for a third and final term, said: “We have already benefitted from the expertise Deloitte has to offer, especially in digital transformation and data analytics, and we’re delighted that we have reached a formal agreement which will help World Athletics achieve our innovation and growth agenda over the next six years.”
Sami Rahal, chief executive of Deloitte Central Europe, added: “Our partnership brings together two powerhouses that embody deep knowledge, vast experience, and significant influence within their respective sectors. This partnership signifies not only a significant milestone for both organisations but also represents a stride towards the continued growth and elevation of athletics worldwide.”
In March 2021 Deloitte agreed a 10-year TOP partnershipwith the International Olympic Committee. The consulting firm said that deal would help with developing its new agreement with World Athletics.
Source: https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/deloitte-takes-on-world-athletics-multi-year-global-sponsorship/