6 August 2024 11:01 am Views - 111
The Football Association [The FA] has extended its long-term global partnership of the FA Cup with Emirates for a further four years – and the world’s most iconic domestic cup competition will continue to be called the Emirates FA Cup until 2028.
The new four-year partnership extension between Emirates and the FA Cup will begin at the start of the 2024/25 season, and further increases Emirates’ commitment to The FA’s flagship competition which first began in 2015 and has resulted in many years of successful collaboration.
Each season, over 700 clubs and 10,000 players across ten levels of the English football pyramid compete in the historic competition, which culminates in the Final at Wembley Stadium. Across the 2023/24 season, over 96 million viewers tuned in to watch the Emirates FA Cup, with over eight million watching the Final between Manchester City and Manchester United. The global appeal of the competition also continues to go from strength to strength, with matches broadcast in over 200 countries worldwide.
The new agreement between The FA and Emirates includes creating exciting opportunities for fans around the world to engage with the Emirates FA Cup over the coming seasons, including an annual international Emirates FA Cup Trophy Tour. During the partnership, thousands of fans have had the chance to see the competition’s famous trophy in person, with tours to Ghana, Kenya, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and the United States, which were all supported by Emirates.
The Emirates FA Cup continues to generate significant revenue each year, which creates vital investment for the English game. As a not-for-profit organisation, The FA is able to reinvest this funding to help support, develop and grow our national sport from grassroots level through to the professional game.
Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline, said: "Over the years, the Emirates FA Cup has provided so many unforgettable sporting moments and brought communities together through the power of football. We remain incredibly proud of our long-standing partnership with The FA, and with this prestigious and historic tournament that is loved by football fans worldwide. This is a commitment that underscores our dedication to supporting football at all levels, and we look forward to connecting even more fans from around the globe to their favourite teams, so that they too can experience the magic of the Emirates FA Cup."
Mark Bullingham, FA Chief Executive, said: "Emirates has been a valued partner of the FA Cup for almost a decade, and we are delighted to be extending our relationship once again. Our partnership has gone from strength to strength over the years and their commitment to the world’s most iconic domestic cup competition during that time has greatly benefitted the English game. Their global reach continues to help us share the magic of the cup and its unique stories with fans around the world, and their ongoing investment into the Emirates FA Cup helps us to provide vital funding across all levels of English football."