2010 and 2011 promise to be exciting years for international cricket in England, with the home side playing Test matches against Bangladesh, Australia, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka.
Yoganathan Ratheesan, CEO of Lebara, commented: “We are very excited to be the mobile partner to the Test Match Grounds. The strong global interest in international cricket, as well as the huge international cricket fan base living here in the UK, represents a fantastic brand awareness opportunity for us. Lebara Mobile’s customer base is an excellent fit with the international teams that are touring over the next two years and we look forward to being part of their cricket experience.”
Ratheesan continued: “Cricket unites and brings people together, giving them plenty to talk about with their loved ones back home. A large number of our customers enjoy playing and watching cricket and our low cost calls provide the perfect solution for friends and family to stay in touch ball by ball, post-match or anytime.”
This deal was brokered by sports marketing agency Essentially Group on behalf of the Test Match Grounds. Sales director Nick Hoyle said: “This is one of the most exciting sponsorships I have been involved in and I am thrilled to be helping Lebara to make this a huge success for the brand and its customers in cricket markets around the world. We look forward to working with the Lebara team and hope its relationship with cricket continues to be successful.”
This partnership represents yet another sports-related deal this year for Lebara Mobile, further strengthening the company’s focus on sports marketing. In January, Lebara Mobile was the broadcast partner for Eurosport's coverage of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations tournament and in March, sponsored YouTube’s live coverage of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Lebara Mobile is planning to support the partnership with a number of other marketing initiatives, including content for its recently-launched mobile internet portal, an ambassador programme, advertising and promotions.