South Korean automotive manufacturer Kia Motors has agreed a three-year extension to its partnership with Auckland’s Eden Park.
Kia will remain one of the ‘icon partners’ of New Zealand’s national stadium, having backed the venue since 2016. Benefits of the partnership include key signage locations, hospitality and access to the pitch for product launches along with other mutual objectives in which the two brands will continue to collaborate on.
Kia last month reached number three overall in the New Zealand new vehicle market and the company has a strong presence in sports sponsorship. In July, Kia 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 in London. That partnership has lasted 14 years, one of the longest associations in English sport.
Kia Motors New Zealand managing director Todd McDonald said: “Kia Motors NZ is thrilled to be extending our association with Eden Park, the historical home of premier sport in New Zealand. It’s the perfect way to showcase awareness of the Kia range of vehicles during some of the most exhilarating moments in high-level sport.”
In other news, Wellington Phoenix, which plays in Australian football competition the A-League, has extended its deal to play games at Eden Park. Coming on the back of an average attendance of over 15,000 for the past three games at New Zealand’s largest stadium, the country’s only professional football club has agreed to stage two games per year at Eden Park until the end of the 2021-22 season.
Wellington Phoenix general manager David Dome said: “It’s important for us as a club to have a presence in Auckland and an average of over 15,000 there is a wonderful result for the club.
“The atmosphere generated by the fans in last weekend’s 15,000 and last season’s 22,000 was something very special for the players and the club. Locking in two games a season for the next two seasons is repaying the commitment of Auckland fans to support the Phoenix and professional football in New Zealand.”
Earlier this month, Eden Park revealed plans for a rooftop tour backed by Sky Sport, along with the installation of a zipline at the stadium.
Image: Eden Park
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