Qatar Airways Flies Into Leadership Sponsorship Lane of PSG

Qatar Airways, in association with Paris Saint-Germain, has agreed to upgrade its shirt sponsorship deal to €60m – €70m per season.

Qatar Airways is the state-owned airline of Qatar that employs over 43,000 people worldwide to support its more than 150 international flight destinations and over 200 aircraft flown regularly.

Paris Saint-Germain, informally known as Paris SG or just PSG, competes in Ligue 1 which is considered the preeminent division of French football (er, soccer).

Since 2020, the airline previously held the position of Premium Partner. Qatar Airways was able to swoop into this new leading sponsorship role after the three-year tenure of the hotel operator Accor.

Sources indicate Accor’s annual figure paid before the change was in a similar €60m – €70m range. Accor will continue to be involved in a yet-to-be-determined position with the team, albeit not on PSG’s team uniforms and related garb.

Earlier expectations are for the change potentially to take effect around the time of the 2022 World Cup being hosted in November of this year in Qatar and may run through the 2023 season.

It is worth noting PSG has made headlines in the past given its known to be owned by Qatar Sports Investments, which itself is a subsidiary of the state of Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority. Beyond the pre-existing direct affiliation, Qatar Sports Investments has been on a figurative watch list in the past by UEFA over earlier sponsorship agreements.

The news coincides nicely with other recent successes by PSG off the pitch Lionel Messi’s move to the club last year. His presence alone has been thought to have both increased revenues and propped up sponsorship renewal fees.

Qatar Airways’s new agreement with PSG will also:
• Reward members of its existing Privilege Club with access to its travel loyalty program,
• Offer travel packages for its most die-hard fans, such as return flights, accommodation, and match tickets,
• Display prominently the logo for Qatar Airways on PSG shirts for its youth, men’s, and women’s teams,
• Enhance LED Lighting at PSG’s marquee Le Parc des Princes stadium, and
• Create other VIP experiences to be defined soon.

Furthermore, Qatar Duty-Free will be anointed the official duty-free of PSG, and the official airport status of PSG will go to none other than Hamad International Airport in Qatar’s capital city of Doha. In relation to the former, it is being reported the official club shop of PSG will receive additional visibility wherever duty-free is offered on-site at the airport along with greater access to an array of club-related merchandise.

Qatar Airways’s other burgeoning sports-related sponsorships include:
• Bayern Munich’s shirt sleeves,
• An acclaimed position as a top-tier FIFA Official Partner,
• Federation rights with Conmebol (the South American football governing body) and Concacaf (the North American governing body), and
• Reach across other sports like tennis, paddle ball, horse riding, and kitesurfing.