Holden Secures NRL Sponsorship Deal

[Kometes]

Holden secures $10m NRL sponsorship


HOLDEN has snatched NRL rugby league sponsorship from market leader Toyota - which sponsored the code from 2008 to 2012 - giving it naming rights to the State of Origin series, the Kangaroos national squad and the Under 20s competition. The three-year multi-million-dollar deal announced today is Holden’s first football sponsorship in 15 years and believed to be worth more than twice as much as the car maker spends on V8 Supercars.

Holden is understood to have spent $10 million over three years to become the official automotive partner of the NRL, compared to an estimated $20 million spent by Toyota to sponsor the AFL in its latest three-year 2012-2014 deal.
The deal also means Holden will become the major sponsor of prizes for the game’s annual Monster Raffle, which has raised more than $2 million for grassroots clubs across Australia.
How we broke the story in December



NRL Interim Chief Executive, Mr Shane Mattiske, today joined Holden Chairman and Managing Director, Mr Mike Devereux, Australian coach Tim Sheens, Holden State of Origin coaches Mal Meninga (QLD) and Laurie Daley (NSW) and Holden Kangaroos and Origin stars Paul Gallen and Robbie Farah at Rugby League Central in Sydney to announce the partnership.

"This is such an exciting time for rugby league. We have in place a strong foundation for growth and there are tremendous opportunities ahead for everyone in the game, including our corporate partners," Mr Mattiske said.

"It’s significant that rugby league now has two of the biggest and most respected brands in Australia, Telstra and Holden, as its two biggest corporate partners in a sponsor family that supports all levels of the game.

"The opportunity to develop strategic partnerships with people and organisations who share rugby league’s breadth of community involvement is an important part of our vision for the game and in Holden we have a partner who embodies that commitment.

"This is a real partnership that works across the game and it is one that all fans can get behind."

The NRL sponsorship deal comes in Holden’s most important year in decades. A new Commodore is unveiled next week before the model bows out in late 2016 after a 38-year run, outlasting the Kingswood's 20-year reign.

Holden posted its lowest sales in 19 years in last year’s all-time record new-car market, but the company has vowed to fight back against the scrum of imported competition.

"This sponsorship is the strongest indication yet that Holden is back, bigger and better than before," chairman and managing director of Holden Mike Devereux said.

"We are very excited about this partnership. It’s exactly what the Holden brand needs to cement our success this year, and into the future."

Holden used the NRL sponsorship announcement to repeat its commitment to manufacturing cars in Australia until 2022, while rival Ford has to date not commented on its future beyond 2016.

"Over the next decade Holden is investing over a billion dollars in our Australian manufacturing future to continue making world class cars and today we have made our first move to substantially enhance our marketing by partnering with the NRL, one of Australia’s top football codes."

In 2012 State of Origin Three was the highest rated program nationally, with 4.03 million viewers, the NRL said.

"The Holden State of Origin is the jewel of Australian sport," Mr Devereux said.

"Amazing game, millions of viewers, interstate rivalry and supreme athleticism."


Of course this lovely bit of news is brought to us by no other than Mr Dowling himself. Bit disheartening thinking of the sales this is likely to generate, even if for no other reason than people seeing the name pop up more often. Would be nice to see a bit of this effort from FoA (perhaps with less $$)