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The Oval retains Kia moniker as Surrey extends deal

South Korean automotive manufacturer Kia has agreed a four-year extension to its sponsorship deal with Surrey County Cricket Club, an agreement that will see it continue to hold naming rights to The Oval ground.

The deal announced today (Friday) between the UK division of Kia Motors and Surrey will now run until the end of 2024. The partnership has now lasted 14 years, one of the longest associations in English sport.

London’s Kia Oval is one of English cricket’s showpiece venues and Kia will continue to have its branding displayed around the historic ground and on the front of the club’s shirts. A continued emphasis will be placed on the club’s digital channels and fans can expect further features such as the Kia Masterclass, where club legend Mark Butcher and members of the Surrey squad offer pro tips on key cricketing skills.

Kia will also continue to be involved at the ground’s Twenty20 matches, with the popular Kia Catch initiative – where fans who are able to cleanly catch a six struck into the stands can win £1,000 (€1,116/$1,252) – continuing for the duration of the sponsorship.

Charlie Hodgson, managing director of Surrey CCC, said: “As a major worldwide brand with strong UK roots in Surrey, the links couldn’t be any stronger and we hugely look forward to working them in an ever-closer manner as our partnership continues.”

Paul Philpott (centre of picture), president and CEO of Kia Motors (UK) Limited, added: “Our partnership with the team at Surrey CCC and the Kia Oval has proved fruitful both on and off the pitch, and our long-standing sponsorship has seen both the Kia brand and all the Surrey teams grow from strength to strength and we are looking forward to supporting both the men’s and women’s teams in the upcoming T20 and Kia Super League matches.”

In May, Surrey reported £2.7m in pre-tax profits in 2018 driven by conferences and events at the Kia Oval and its biggest membership in the modern era.