sports
Qatar Airways Puts Nations Championship Sponsorship on Hold Due to Fallout From War
Middle East War Uncertainty Leads to Delay for £80m Deal
TL;DR
- Qatar Airways has put its £80m sponsorship of the new Nations Championship on hold.
- The delay is due to the fallout from the war in the Middle East.
- Contracts have not been signed, and the tournament will start without a title sponsor.
- Senior figures in the Qatari government deemed it inappropriate to announce a new global sponsorship during regional uncertainty.
- The November leg of the tournament is the likely point for Qatar Airways branding to appear.
- The partnership is set to run until 2032 and includes hosting rights for two finals for Qatar.
- The absence of a title sponsor will not cause immediate financial difficulties as the tournament is underwritten by media rights deals.
- ITV has bought the UK live rights for £90m, and TF1 has secured rights in France.
- The Nations Championship involves the top six European teams playing against southern hemisphere opposition, Japan, and Fiji.
- Qatar has been awarded hosting rights for the 2028 and 2032 finals.