Portugal Telecom and Sport Lisboa e Benfica have signed a 5-year partnership. This partnership comprises the various national and international competitions in which the main team participates, namely: Super Liga (Premier league), Taça de Portugal (Potuguese Cup), Super Taça Cândido de Oliveira (Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup), European competitions and all the private games and tournaments.
Miguel Horta e Costa, Chairman of the Executive Council of the PT and Luís Filipe Vieira, President of Sport Lisboa e Benfica signed an agreement at the Estádio da Luz, during the press conference for the presentation of the new Benfica equipment for the next season. An agreement which both agreed to be “very important to reinforce a long-standing partnership”.
After showing his satisfaction for the connection to PT, the President of Benfica, Luís Filipe Vieira, promised that “the partnership will bring much success to Portugal Telecom”, ending with a note of gratitude for the support rendered by Portugal Telecom. Miguel Horta e Costa showed his regard for Benfica and congratulated the club on its conquest of the national championship. “It is a great honour to be here. On behalf of the PT Group I would like to congratulate Benfica for the title”, said the Chairman of the Executive Committee of PT.
On the importance of the partnership, Miguel Horta e Costa pointed out football as a sports that mobilises the whole population. “ Football is in everyone’s heart, specially in the youngsters. PT believes in the youngsters and we consider that supporting this club is very important”, said the leader of PT. The players Nuno Gomes, João Vilela and Moreira were chosen to as models to try the new Sport Lisboa e Benfica equipments, with the respective logo of Portugal Telecom on the front of the vests.
Pertaining to the agreement, Sport Lisboa e Benfica, will publicise in the above mentioned competitions, the PT brand and other PT brands and associated companies on the game and training gear used by the main team and by the respective staff. This flexibility will allow the use of brands according to brand strategy established by the company.
By sponsoring the main team, PT seals a long time relation with Benfica. Note that this company is one of the largest sponsors in the new Luz stadium, having associated itself from the beginning to its construction, sponsoring the PT Comunicações stand and later the SAPO ADSL stand.
The presence of PT in Benfica is linked to the company’s strategy in maintaining with the sports phenomenon, namely football, a very strong presence. Note that PT is already a sponsor of two big Portuguese clubs – Futebol Clube do Porto and Sporting Clube de Portugal. Through TMN it sponsors the AA National Football Team, the under 21 and the National Beach Football Team. In Brazil, VIVO, PT’s mobile company, sponsors the world champion Brazilian National Team.
One must still highlight that in Portugal and in the world, football has assumed great importance. It is a transversal phenomenon causing impact on various social classes, on different ages, on both sexes and on all demographic regions of the planet. PT also assumes these features: it is present in the whole world, namely in Portuguese speaking countries and has near 40 million clients.
The attraction to this sport affords it extensive media coverage, thus high percentage of audience share. The levels of return on investment in this modality are equally satisfactory.
Football also associates some values to the PT Group: innovation, leadership, quality and passion. It also allows closer relationships with clients, through fidelization actions and new clients in all parts of the world. It is a unique event that “tickles the emotions” of our habitual and potential clients.