Npower dismisses threat of rival's FA Cup link-up

by Drew Barrand, Marketing 08-Feb-06

LONDON - Wembley Stadium partner Npower has denied it will lose out as a result of the FA Cup sponsorship deal struck by rival energy services firm E.ON last week.

Powergen owner E.ON signed a £32m, four-year deal for title sponsorship of the tournament. The package gives it exclusivity at any ground staging an FA Cup game, including the new Wembley Stadium.

However, Npower marketing director Kevin Peake does not believe that the deal will affect the company's ability to leverage its status as an official supplier to Wembley Stadium.

'We'll probably gain, given that E.ON's branding is very similar in its red colour design to ours,' he said. 'How many people are going to see its logo at FA Cup games and think it's ours?'

Peake confirmed that Npower had been approached by the Football Association regarding the FA Cup title sponsorship, but its valuation of the package had not matched the asking price.

E.ON's heavy investment in the FA Cup has raised a question over the future of Powergen's long-running broadcast sponsorship of ITV weather.

Wembley is scheduled to stage the FA Cup Final in May, although stadium builder Multiplex admitted last month that the ground may not be ready in time.

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