BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Ahead of the 100th Tour de France, which starts on Saturday, Team Sky has announced a long-term commitment from News Corporation, which will see the 21st Century Fox brand appear prominently on riders’ kit and team vehicles.
21st Century Fox is the proposed media and entertainment company that will be formed following News Corporation’s separation into two distinct publicly-traded companies.
News Corporation and its subsidiary Sky Italia have been partners in Team Sky since the team first raced in 2010. The new partnership increases this support for the team, which will continue to be known as Team Sky and operate as Sky Pro Cycling.
Sir Dave Brailsford, Team Principal of Team Sky, said:
“21st Century Fox is a perfect fit and is an appealing global brand that will be great to work with."
James Murdoch, News Corporation’s Deputy Chief Operating Officer, said: “It’s a great time to increase our commitment to Team Sky and to add the support of an exciting new entertainment brand. We’re proud of the team’s success so far, its professionalism and its approach to attracting new fans to the sport and increasing grassroots participation in cycling.”
In 2012, Team Sky’s Sir Bradley Wiggins become the first British rider to win the Tour de France.
According to a study commissioned by Cycling News and performed by Repucom, last season Team Sky gave more media value to their partners and sponsors than any other cycling team, delivering over $550m in advertising value.
