The EFL and Carabao have today announced a two-year extension to their partnership that will see the Thai energy drinks brand continue as Official Title Sponsor of the Carabao Cup until 2022.
The partnership, which began in 2017, has provided the EFL with a platform to reach new international audiences in the ASEAN region and continue the growth of the EFL Cup competition worldwide, while raising the profile and awareness of the Carabao brand amongst football supporters in the UK and abroad.
With over 27 million fans in the UK, football is popular among men and women of all ages and Carabao invests heavily in the sport at various levels. Through its partnership with the EFL the brand is able to engage directly with fans of all 92 football clubs in the UK and the two-year contract extension shows their commitment to growing the Carabao brand.
As the first piece of silverware on offer in the domestic season, the competition culminates in a showpiece Wembley Final which in 2019 was contested by Chelsea and Manchester City, with Raheem Sterling scoring the decisive goal to see City crowned winners for a second consecutive year.
Over 2.8 million viewers tuned in to the Carabao Cup draws across the 2018/2019 season and through the partnership, the Cup competition has been able to break new ground hosting draws across the globe in Bangkok, Beijing and Ho Chi Minh City.
In the past two years, a number of famous faces from the football world and beyond have conducted the draws boosting the profile of Carabao and the Cup competition further. In 2018/2019, TV presenter
Rachel Riley conducted the Round Four draw alongside former England Women’s player, Rachel Yankey in the first all-female Carabao Cup draw.
Last season’s Semi-Final draw, broadcast on Sky Sports, was one of the most high-profile and most watched Cup draws as TV personality and Arsenal supporter Piers Morgan wore a Tottenham Hotspur shirt after losing a sporting wager to fellow draw guest and former Spurs player Peter Crouch.
As Official Title Sponsor of the EFL Cup, the renewed agreement will see Carabao have prominent digital and in stadia presence across all Cup fixtures and a range of assets including tickets to share exclusively with their customers.
The extension of the partnership is a product of the EFL’s work with brands internationally to help showcase EFL competitions and sponsors on a global stage.
Shaun Harvey, EFL Chief Executive, said: “Our partnership with Carabao over the last two seasons has been hugely successful for both parties, allowing us to continue the growth of our competitions on both the domestic and international stage whilst providing Carabao with unparalleled reach to millions of football supporters as they build awareness of their brand and look to convert EFL supporters to Carabao customers.
“I’d like to thank Carabao for their support since 2017 and with an additional two year extension I’m sure both they and the EFL will continue to benefit from the relationship moving forwards.”
John Luck, CMO of Intercarabao UK, said: “Our sponsorship of the internationally renowned EFL Cup has been a game-changer for us over the past 2 years in terms of driving awareness and sales of Carabao.
“We’re committed to growing the brand both in the UK and abroad by appealing to energy-starved men and women of all ages and bringing even more consumers into the category. With over 27 million fans in the UK alone, football remains an important asset to help us achieve our growth plans.”