Bull Mania wrote:
O/T but interesting to see the England netball team have signed a deal with Nike. How can netball attract Nike and all we can atttact is an Aussie company in ISC who are pretty unknown globally. I think the biggest one involved in RL is Kappa (who we're rumoured to be with) but it's not exactly Nike, Umbro, Adidas etc. I think Puma sponsoring England 10 years a go was last time a global sports brand was involved in the sport. For a club, i think it was Wigan with Nike 20 years a go. Do you reckon anyone even goes to these companies to make them an offer?
It depends on the deal that manufacturers are willing to enter into. Farsley Celtic had "Nike" shirts, but they didn't receive a penny for them - they were the same shirts that you could get from DW Sports' teamwear range. Leeds, for example, have a ten-year commercial agreement with ISC that I imagine is worth a few quid.
But it's also worth noting that women's sport is something a lot of big companies are willing to get into - it is something that may align to their corporate social responsibilities strategies as well as their wider marketing plans, and it appeals to a large number of potential consumers who may not be attracted to 'male' sports. The audience for the women's FA Cup final is very different to the audience for the men's FA Cup final.
There are a lot of good reasons for companies to invest in women's sports that most male sports - RL included - don't align with.
