Dutch brewer Heineken has today extended its long-standing sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League (UCL), European soccer's elite club competition, for the 2024-27 commercial cycle.
In addition to the Champions League, the brand’s renewed three-year agreement will include sponsorship rights for the UEFA Super Cup.
In the present 2021-24 cycle, Heineken also sponsors the second-tier Europa League and third-tier Europa Conference League.
For the next three-year period, UEFA has split its packages up between those covering the UCL, and those associated with the Europa League and Conference League.
The continental body opened the process of finding global sponsors for its trio of top-tier club competitions in May 2021, with its long-time agency partner Team Marketing continuing to be responsible for the marketing of media and commercial rights.
For the ongoing commercial cycle, UEFA has eight global Champions League sponsors in place, including PlayStation, Walkers/Lays, FedEx, Mastercard, Just Eat, Turkish Airlines, and Oppo.
The renewed deal will take Heineken’s long-standing sponsorship of the UCL to 33 years by the time the deal reaches its conclusion.
The long-term partnership started in 1994 with the Amstel brand before it moved to Heineken in 2005.
From the 2024-25 season, the Champions League will take on a new single-league format, with the competition expanding from 32 to 36 teams and 189 matches instead of the current 125.
As part of the extended deal, Heineken will continue to present the UEFA Champions League trophy tour and activate its sponsorship through marketing campaigns.
The UCL sponsorship will run alongside the brand’s sponsorship of the UEFA Women’s Champions League and UEFA Women’s Euro national team competition.
The extension has been announced ahead of the start of the 2023-24 UCL group stage, which begins tonight (September 19).
Aleksander Čeferin, UEFA president, said: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with Heineken, a company with such a well-established heritage in the world of sports.
“This new multi-year deal pinnacles an extraordinary relationship between two long-standing allies, lasting over a quarter of a century.”
Dolf van den Brink, Heineken chairman and chief executive, added: “We are thrilled to extend our sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League until 2027 as the competition takes on an exciting new format.
“This change means more matches and more opportunities to bring fans together and create incredible memories for supporters around the world.”
It is understood that UEFA has accepted offers for another two Champions League sponsorship packages and three for Europa League and Europa Conference League action, which will be announced in due course.
Heineken is a major sponsor of international sport and recently renewed its deal as a global partner of motor racing’s prestigious Formula 1 series.
