America's Cup- Emirates signs on as naming rights sponsor with Team NZ

by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com NZL on 12 May 2015 Emirates Team New Zealand have announced the most significant commercial sponsorship yet in the 35th America's Cup with the confirmation today that the Emirati international airline has signed on again with the 30-year-old America's Cup team.

The announcement is the first major team sponsorship announced for the America's Cup, even though the New Zealand team is yet to sail a boat in the current Cup cycle.

Team CEO Grant Dalton told Sail-World that while one swallow didn't make a summer, this would be the first in a series of sponsorship announcement that the would make in coming weeks. 'This is a renewal of our biggest sponsor. It demonstrates the strength of the ten-year-old relationship and how they value our brand, in the good times and bad. They are also our naming rights sponsor.'

'It is a big factor that Emirates have been with us for the long haul, and it gives confidence to other sponsors to see them back on board.

'As the weeks roll by you see us rolling out some more. We still have a ways to go, but we will roll out more in the next few weeks,' he said.

Although Dalton conceded that not currently having the backing of the New Zealand Government left a big hole to be filled, and the current sponsorship market was 'very, very, very difficult'.

'There have been a lot of things that could have knocked us off our perch, but we are still on it,' Dalton told Sail-World.

He conceded that had the team not re-signed Emirates it could have been a lethal blow for the team. 'This is a major step for us with the renewal of our major sponsor.'

'It is only in the last couple of weeks, and with the lack of stability, I think all the teams have been finding it difficult to raise money.'

'But this is the most significant announcement in commercial terms that the Cup has had.'

Even though Emirates do not fly into Bermuda, Dalton says that the airline view Emirates Team New Zealand as their major sporting property 'in this hemisphere'.

'They are a relationship sponsor with whom we are good friends and talk with regularly. They understand who we are and what we do, and what we stand for. Emirates are long term players and are now in their third edition of the America's Cup with Team New Zealand.'

Referring to the three television deals that have been signed by the America's Cup Events Authority, Dalton said that Emirates Airline, who are probably the worlds biggest global sponsor, expect TV deals. 'They don't sign up with AC Milan or the Cricket World Cup and not expect to have fantastic TV deals. In a major event, a prestigious sponsor should expect good TV deals, and so do we. We both expect to have major TV deals in place.

First seats on the renewed sponsorship will be warmed tonight, when three Emirates Team New Zealand members fly out of Auckland bound for Portsmouth, England, to test the new foiling AC45 one design, along with members of other America's Cup teams.