Port Adelaide Football Club snags PwC as major sponsor
The Port Adelaide Football Club has snared PwC as a long-term sponsor in what the parties describe as a landmark deal.
While its 2019 AFL season hangs in the balance, the Port Adelaide Football Club has at least scored a longer-term coup through a landmark sponsorship agreement with global professional services firm PwC. According to the club, the agreement sees the Big Four firm become of its most significant sponsors, tying the two organisations together for an extended period.
“Port Adelaide Football Club is proud to be sponsored by this significant global brand,” said media personality David Koch, who took over as Port Adelaide Chairman in 2013. “PwC is a big deal. They are rated as one of the top 50 brands worldwide, part of a network of firms in 158 countries with more than 250,000 people, who deliver services to more than 5,000 clients.”
“It is a great endorsement for our club because PwC has historically only sponsored big global sporting brands and events such as the America’s Cup, PGA and Irish Rugby,” continued Koch, although PwC last year entered into a partnership agreement with Victoria-based rugby union team the Melbourne Rebels. The firm has also been sponsoring the Australian ESports League.
Despite Port Adelaide being one of the lesser lights of the league by membership, its recent home-and-away foray into China is seen as major drawcard. “PwC and the Port Adelaide Football Club are philosophically aligned – both are innovative businesses, driving commercial activity in key growth markets, such as China,” said PwC Adelaide Managing Partner Jamie Briggs.
“PwC works with businesses, Government and the community to help Australia continue to thrive and grow,” added Briggs, former Federal Minister for Cities and the Built Environment who joined PwC after losing his seat in 2016. Recently, the Liberal Government committed a further three years of considerable funding to the Port Adelaide/AFL joint venture in China.
“This sponsorship will assist Port Adelaide on field, but will also help improve our practices off field. In short, PwC’s sponsorship will help Port Adelaide better serve our 60,000 members, which is our core business,” concluded Koch. According to the AFL’s latest figures, Port Adelaide has a shade over 50,000 members, having lost 4.5 percent of its base this year.
As part of its ‘City Pulse’ series, PwC ranks the suburb of Port Adelaide as well below average on its ‘live’ and ‘play’ metrics, yet foresees incredible growth opportunities in the area courtesy of the federal government’s $90 billion naval shipbuilding programme – with the Big Four firm recommending that Adelaide pursue a “City Deal” focused on defence industry growth.
