PHAR appointed to secure new title sponsor of the Grand National
The Grand National, the world’s most famous horse race, is looking for a new title sponsor from 2014 onwards. Aintree Racecourse and The Jockey Club have appointed sponsorship specialists PHAR Partnerships to lead the search for the new sponsor. PHAR will act as the exclusive agency on the project and seek to secure a brand befitting the world class nature and global appeal of the event. This is only the second time in 30 years that The Grand National has been available for sponsorship and represents an amazing opportunity for a brand to associate with the nation’s favourite sporting event and benefit from a substantial package of rights including full branding at the race, ticketing, hospitality and experiential opportunities.
This year’s event represented the start of a new era for the race with Channel 4 broadcasting the race for the first time and attracting an incredible audience of over 9 million in the UK and attended by over 150,000 people over the 3 days. The race itself was full of drama and excitement as Aurora’s Encore, a 66-1 outsider, came home the winner. As well as impressive domestic viewing figures it was watched by an international audience in the hundreds of millions.
John Baker, North West Regional Director of the Jockey Club added “we are excited to be working with PHAR, their expertise in this space fills us with great confidence that they will secure the right brand for the Grand National as we enter an extremely exciting new era for the race.”
PHAR CEO, Marcus Wight, expressed his delight at the appointment. “We feel extremely privileged to be working with Aintree and The Jockey Club to secure a new sponsor of the Grand National and the fact that it has become available for only the second time in 30 years is another reason why so many brands are showing an interest. It is one of those rare occasions when the nation comes together and we are looking for a brand that wants to enhance the appeal of this ‘national treasure’ that brings fun and excitement into people’s lives.”