VisitBritain scores again with largest ever Premier League partnership

VisitBritain has extended its five year partnership with the Barclays Premier League to 2016. The new deal will target millions of football fans around the world who follow English football, and aim to increase the 900,000 football mad visitors who already visit each year, spending £700 million across Britain. The popularity of recent pre-season tours by the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City and the huge buzz at the start of this season has further emphasised the global passion for the Premier League.

VisitBritain has cranked up investment making it the biggest football campaign in the tourist board’s history. As part of our largest campaign, Steven Gerrard, the England and Liverpool captain will feature in GREAT advertising promoting Britain as a wonderful place to visit and watch sport.

The agreement will give potential visitors the opportunity to play an inspirational season-long digital game to win a trip to Britain, which will sit on VisitBritain’s new Love Wall. The fully integrated campaign, under the tag line ‘Take Me There’, will also include new player interviews, options to book match breaks via Thomas Cook Sport, information on favourite clubs, suggested tourist attractions close to the stadium and access to latest fixtures and results.

The new campaign will promote the destinations behind the Barclays Premier League with regular digital and social media activity taking place throughout the season to highlight the tourism offer in key football regions, such as Wales, home to Swansea City and newly promoted Cardiff City, the North West, North East, Midlands and London. ‘Take Me There’ will be supported by targeted media buy across China, UAE, Norway, Sweden and Hong Kong.

The forthcoming season will see new stadium tours added to VisitBritain’s online shop available to visitors in 58 countries across the world. If fans can’t get a ticket for a game they can instead enjoy the history of their favourite team, sit in the changing room and go pitch-side where their heroes play at clubs such as Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.

Last season more than 70 million people across the globe had ‘opportunities to see’ VisitBritain’s joint partner marketing activity with the Premier League. A new video ad with Japanese and Manchester United player Shinji Kagawa has already been viewed by over 1.5 million people in Japan and VisitBritain has subsequently used this to encourage Japanese tour operators to package and sell Manchester and Liverpool.

The partnership allows VisitBritain the opportunity to explore existing relationships with key Premier League stakeholders such as Opta, EA Sports, sticker provider Topps and new Premier League US broadcaster, NBC.

Joss Croft, Marketing Director at VisitBritain said: "It's a perfect partnership to attract the millions who follow football around the world – particularly the younger audience in Asia. The Barclays Premier League was interested in the reach we have to overseas consumers and we were interested in building on the League’s huge global appeal.

“The Barclays Premier League plays an important role in promoting Britain around the world. The competition is broadcast in 212 territories and into 804 million homes around the globe, making it the most watched football league in the world. This season sees clubs from across England and Wales competing, so we’ve put everything behind it to make it the biggest campaign we’ve run.”

Richard Scudamore, Chief Executive at the Barclays Premier League said upon signing the agreement: “What supporters around the world see when they watch the Barclays Premier League on TV are some of the world’s best footballers playing exciting football in packed stadiums where there is a fantastic atmosphere. Extending our ties with VisitBritain means it will not only be easier for our fans across the globe to come here and be part of the action, but they will also be able to immerse themselves in the history of our clubs and cities.”

VisitBritain will also sponsor the first prize of a trip to Britain for the official Barclays Premier League Fantasy Football game.