November 10: Hotels.com has signed a multi-year global sponsorship deal with Real Madrid, giving the booking platform rights to the club’s digital channel belt, matchday inventory and hospitality program.
The agreement makes Hotels.com an Official Partner of Real Madrid and will include the brand at the Bernabéu, digital content and support activations linked to travel. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The travel angle gives the partnership simple business logic, given Real Madrid’s global fan base of 677 million, while Hotels.com says hotel stays in Madrid during the current season are up 30% year-on-year.
The company also says that Real Madrid supporters travel more frequently and are more likely to book hotels than the general population, although no underlying data was provided alongside this claim.
Hotels.com CEO Hari Nair said: “Real Madrid is one of the most iconic brands in global sport, with an unmatched ability to connect with fans around the world. This partnership gives Hotels.com a powerful platform to engage a passionate and highly relevant audience through engaging content and meaningful experiences.”
He added: “The loyalty that defines Real Madrid’s fan base makes this a natural fit for Hotels.com. We know Real Madrid fans have a high rate of travel, so we want to reward them with instant savings today and the flexibility to pay rewards for future travel.”
Real Madrid’s Director of Institutional Relations, Emilio Butragueño, said: “This collaboration represents for us a great opportunity to continue growing as a club alongside a leading company in its sector, with whom we share fundamental values such as the pursuit of excellence, commitment to service, innovation and the ability to connect with our respective audiences.”
Both sides will work on fan campaigns over the coming seasons, using Real Madrid’s stadium, hospitality program and digital platforms.
Hotels.com has also positioned the deal as part of a wider push into football sponsorship, having agreed similar deals with north London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at (email protected)