America’s Cup adds Cupra as global partner

Under the deal, Cupra’s soon-to-be-launched Terramar electric SUV becomes the official car of the competition.

Susan Lingeswaran December 05 2023

As a global partner, Cupra will gain a significant presence throughout the event. (America’s Cup)

Cupra, the high-performance motorsport subsidiary of Spanish car maker Seat, has become the latest company to sign up as a global partner to sailing’s prestigious America’s Cup taking place in Barcelona next year.

Under the deal, Cupra becomes the global automotive partner of the competition, while its soon-to-be-launched Terramar electric SUV becomes the event’s official car.

Cupra, formerly known as Seat Sport, will gain a significant presence throughout the event, which will take place between August and October next year, to boost its brand. The company will also be part of the fan zone in the Race Village to engage with fans.

Cupra currently participates in the Extreme E and Formula E motor racing competitions and has a growing sponsorship portfolio, which includes being the official automotive and mobility partner of Spanish soccer giants Barcelona, a premium sponsor of the World Padel Tour, and the official sponsor of the eSports Club Finetwork KOI.

This is the latest corporate sponsorship struck by the race after securing French luxury goods company Louis Vuitton as title sponsor in October. For the previous America’s Cup, held in New Zealand in 2021, fashion brand PRADA was the presenting sponsor.

In October, organizers also announced a commercial deal with global drinks giant Coca-Cola, while in September a tie-up was struck with Italy-based banking and financial services firm UniCredit. Catalan beer brand Estrella Damm, meanwhile, is an official sponsor of the event.

Spanish fashion brand Puig has also signed up to be a global partner of the competition as part of a deal that includes naming rights to the inaugural women’s edition.

Back in September, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), an alliance of public service broadcasters across Europe, acquired media rights to the America's Cup edition in 39 territories.

Alongside the rights to the competition proper, the EBU also acquired the rights to the Youth America’s Cup and the inaugural Women’s America’s Cup.

Not included among the 39 territories covered is Italy, wherein Sky Italia already secured the rights to the race, as well as a host of other sports, in June.