A sponsorship deal struck between the Malta Tourism Authority and Manchester United football club has given the Premier League club a revenue boost, its financial results show.

The club posted an 8.1 per cent year-on-year increase in its sponsorship revenue for the first quarter of the 2019-2020 season, which corresponds to the last three months ending in September.  

It cited new deals, including with Visit Malta, as the main reason for the boost.

According to the financial report, sponsorship revenue stood at £53.6 million, an increase of £4 million, over the prior year quarter.

This was “primarily due to new sponsorship deals and additional tour revenue,” it said, and highlighted the new partnerships “with Visit Malta, Lego, Konami and Yabo Sport.” 

On the back of these deals, the overall commercial revenue for the quarter stood at £80.4 million, an increase of 5.9 per cent over the previous year.

While registering a decrease in profit on a quarter to quarter basis, the club said that it expected revenue over the 2020 financial year to range between £560 and £580 million.

Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi posing with Wes Brown, a former Manchester United defender, during a recent event.

Manchester United is considered to be one of the richest football clubs in the world and signed a deal in September with Visit Malta, involving a still un-disclosed sum of public funds. When contacted for additional information, the club echoed the Maltese government by citing commercial sensitivity.

Undisclosed sum of public funds

A spokesman for Manchester United told Times of Malta that “the financial details and length of our agreement is commercially sensitive and not something we would wish to disclose.”

Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi, responsible for the MTA, has rejected reports that the three- year sponsorship will cost the government around €20 million. 

The deal makes Malta the official destination partner of Manchester United. Adverts appear at Old Trafford, the club’s home stadium, and its associated websites. 

Dr Mizzi is refusing to give details on the package bought through this deal, including any free tickets for matches played at Old Trafford.

The minister defended the deal as an opportunity for the country to increase its visibility on a worldwide stage.

This was not the first time that the MTA eyed English football for its marketing.

Although at a much less prestigious level, in 2008 the MTA had signed a deal with Sheffield United who sported the Visit Malta logo on their shirts, among other benefits.

On that occasion, the government had given all the financial details of the deal to Parliament.

Ivan.Camilleri@timesofmalta.com