The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced the renewal of its deal with Continental Tires for the upcoming four-year rights cycle. This means Continental Tires will continue to be the Official Tire Partner of the AFC national team competitions and the exclusive sponsor in the tire category.
The newly extended global sponsorship deal circles major AFC national team competitions, including but not limited to the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar featuring the Continent’s top 12 football nations, and Asia’s flagship national team competition – the AFC Asian Cup, which will be held in China PR in June 2023.
Continental will celebrate its 150th anniversary in the year 2021. Continental Tires and the AFC will jointly launch an exclusive digital campaign in early 2021 as part of its year-long “150 Years of Confidence” campaign. The campaign will feature a series of high-impact content and activities to laud the renewed partnership.
A Trophy Appearance Programme will also be exclusively hosted by Continental Tires during the AFC Asian Cup China 2023. The tournament will see Asia’s best national teams fight it out for the ultimate glory in state-of-the-art venues across 10 major cities in China PR.
Speaking about the extended partnership, AFC General Secretary, Dato’ Windsor John said “Continental Tires has been an exclusive partner of the AFC and Asian football since 2015. We are grateful for their continued dedication to the AFC’s national team competitions and are delighted to welcome Continental as the first global partner for the upcoming cycle as we move into a new era of Asian football.”
Ferdinand Hoyos, Executive Vice President of the Replacement Tires Business in APAC for Continental, said “Our partnership with the AFC has placed Continental right alongside all fans supporting their national teams in Asia. Football as a sport is making great strides in many of the Asian countries, and we are thrilled to be part of the future of this growing sport here in the region.”
“Though the COVID-19 pandemic requires that we take additional precautions to stay vigilant, Continental Tires stands behind sports – with the health and safety of players and fans as the top priority. We look forward into 2021 to celebrate plenty of team victories and Continental Tires’ 150th Year Anniversary.”
Football Marketing Asia (FMA), the exclusive commercial partner for AFC competitions 2021-2024 and 2025-2028 secured and will manage the partnership deal.
Patrick Murphy, Board Member and CEO at FMA, remarked “Continental Tires and Football Marketing Asia share huge ambitions, extensive experience and strong commitment with regards to the continued growth of Asia’s number one sport, in particular one of our most strategic markets of China. We are looking forward to sharing our mutual expertise in activating partnerships both at a consumer and B2B level through the cycle, culminating in the Asian Cup 2023.”