Emirates has opted to end its sponsorship of Johannesburg’s Ellis Park stadium, home of United Rugby Championship team the Lions.
The stadium has been known as Emirates Airline Park since 2015, with Emirates also serving as the title sponsor of the Lions. A new five-year deal was signed in July 2019 but Emirates is now set to exit.
Ellis Park is one of the most iconic stadiums in South Africa. It has a capacity of 62,500 and hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup final. It was also a host venue during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Emirates’ deal with Ellis Park and the Lions will officially draw to a close at the end of June. Pieter Burger, managing director at Ellis Park, told South African news outlet Rapport that the Lions are in talks with six potential sponsors for the team and stadium, including local and international companies.
Burger added: “Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever. We owe a lot to Emirates. Even though it is not fun, and it is stressful [to lose a sponsor], it offers new opportunities and is exciting at the same time.
“In rugby, you get by far the best [value] for what you put in. Your business gets incredibly good mileage. Emirates got incredible exposure with the Test at Ellis Park last year [between South Africa and New Zealand]. We even shot a documentary of the flight over the stadium, which gave them incredible exposure on SuperSport. We know what we offer as the Lions to the title sponsor.”
According to Rapport, Emirates has opted to focus on other sports such as basketball.
Emirates also holds naming rights to the home stadium of Premier League football club Arsenal. Its sports sponsorship portfolio also includes AC Milan, the NBA, and the four grand slam tennis tournaments.
