Source: Telegraph
Manchester United clinch shirt sponsorship with Aon Corp
United and Aon took just three weeks to thrash out the lucrative partnership, which will commence at the start of the 2010-11 season. But with shirt manufacturers Nike already having produced United's new strip for next season with the AIG logo, the Premier League champions will be forced to carry the AIG branding for the final 12 months of the £14 million-a-year contract.[LNB]With the US government bailing out the financially-crippled AIG to the tune of £125 billion, senior political figures in America had called for the final £14-million instalment to United to be withheld to avoid taxpayer money funding the club.[LNB] Related ArticlesD-Day for Tevez?Liverpool lose ground in race for TevezPremier League Transfer TalkSport on televisionManchester Uniteds £14m shirt sponsorship payment in doubt after US Congress steps inPole vaulter runs naked through streets of ParisUnited have received assurances that they will receive the £14 million, but AIG's announcement earlier this year that they would not be renewing their sponsorship prompted United to launch the global search for a new shirt sponsor that has culminated in the deal with Aon.[LNB]United's success in pulling off football's biggest shirt deal in the depth of an economic downturn was largely a result of the club's ability to offer Aon a route into the burgeoning Asian market.[LNB]The club claim to have 330 million supporters worldwide, with six times as many supporters in India as in the UK. Nike produce six million shirts a year, all with the club's sponsor on the front, and United's television channel, MUTV, has subscribers in 220 countries worldwide.[LNB]Greg Case, president and chief executive officer of Aon, said: 'Manchester United has one of the most recognised sports brands in the world.[LNB]'While we are delighted that our brand will be showcased to the over 330 million fans of Manchester United as well as the countless followers of football worldwide. We also are excited about the chance to maximise the value of this partnership globally.'[LNB]United have been in talks with a variety of companies since January, but the Aon deal was concluded within weeks of initial discussions. [LNB]BIGGEST SHIRT DEALS [LNB]Manchester United's £80m shirt deal outstrips the sponsorship packages agreed by their Premier League and European rivals. [LNB]Bayern Munich - £17m-a-year, four-year deal with telecommunications company T-Home. [LNB]Real Madrid - £15m-a-year, four-year deal with Austrian gambling company Bwin.com. [LNB]Juventus - £15m-a-year, five-year deal with Libya-based oil company Tamoil. [LNB]Chelsea - £10m-a-year, five-year deal with Korean electronics giant Samsung. [LNB]Liverpool - £8m-a-year, four-year deal with Carlsberg. [LNB]Manchester City - £8m-a-year, three-year deal with Etihad Airways. [LNB]Barcelona - European champions donate £1.5m-a-year to Unicef in order to wear the charity's logo. [LNB]
