Arsenal Football Club has just signed (26th February) a sponsorship deal to promote Israel as a tourist destination.
The £350,000 agreement makes Israel Arsenal's "official and exclusive travel destination." Israel will be featured on digital perimeter boards and 450 high-definition LCD screens at the stadium on game days.[1] The tourism ministry will also have access to the club's official website Arsenal.com, database and magazine to promote Israel as a holiday destination [2]
The televised ads will reach audiences of up to 700 million in an estimated 198 countries. The Israeli Tourism Ministry will also receive intellectual property rights, the use of the team logo and the right to use photos of the team and its players in ads. For an additional fee, Arsenal players will also appear in the ads.[3]
The deal doesn't stop with promoting Israel but actually grants Israel a physical presence in the stadium. The Israeli Tourism Ministry can use the stadium's banquet hall twice a year and can organize an exhibition at the end of the playing season.[3] The stadium will also feature permanent sales tables for t-shirts.[4]
The two-year sponsorship deal begins at the start of next football season in six months' time.
