Financial services brand is now title sponsor of flagship British meetings and will support the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team
Novuna, one of the UK’s leading financial services brands, has been announced as a major sponsor for UK Athletics. “This is a transformative moment for athletics,” says UKA chief executive Jack Buckner.
The deal will see Novuna become title partner of major UK Athletics events such as the London Athletics Meet and UK Athletics Championships in addition to supporting the GB & NI team.
UKA say: “In a historic step for the sport, Novuna will also become the first commercial brand ever to appear on the official GB & NI team kit, a visible symbol of the sport’s commercial strength and rising profile.”
The deal has been orchestrated by Athletic Ventures – the three-way alliance between UKA, London Marathon Events and Great Run Company.
Buckner says: “This is a transformative moment for athletics in the UK with this new partnership between Athletic Ventures and Novuna. We’ve been working hard to turn things around and lay the foundations for sustainable success. This partnership is a powerful endorsement of the athletes, coaches, clubs and fans who make athletics so successful.
“Novuna is an ambitious, impressive and collaborative brand that shares our belief in the power of athletics to inspire, unite and thrive. Together, we’ll be working to build a unique partnership from the playground to the podium.”
With the sponsorship deal aiming to help the sport from grassroots to elite level, there are shades of UKA’s deal with insurance company Aviva, who sponsored UKA for 13 years in the run-up to London 2012. However, today’s news from UKA does not state how long the deal with Novuna will last initially, nor how much money is involved.
“This partnership is about more than visibility. It’s about connecting with people through the raw energy and emotion of live sport,” says Theresa Lindsay, chief marketing officer at Novuna.
“Athletics in the UK is entering an exciting new era, and we’re proud to be part of that journey, supporting world-class athletes whose dedication, teamwork and drive mirror the way we approach everything we do.”
The first event in the partnership will be the Diamond League in London on July 19, which is already a sell-out. In recent years it has lacked a title sponsor and lost money, but that’s about to change.
In September the GB & NI team will then see athletes wearing kit that includes Novuna branding.
