Movistar provides coverage for sport
Movistar plays an important role in Spanish sport.
Eiffel 65 and its blue world. A very popular song in the late '90s. Rare, like that group, but tremendously catchy decades later. Spanish sport is also turning that Pantone Reflex Blue from Movistar. Marketing moves fast and a brand image associated with the world of sport is synonymous with recognition... and business.
The rule of three for Fernando Alonso's return to Formula One is simple. We all remember the Asturian driver's blue jumpsuit when he won his three world championships. Movistar owns the rights to F1 in Spain. Renault's yellow is the colour we associate with its most commercial line, but on the circuits we have been more impressed by the blue, even though their cars now wear yellow and black. Everything seems to indicate that Movistar, Renault and Alonso will go hand in hand from the 2021-2022 season.
The presence of the Spanish teleco in sports is immense. While they are developing their infrastructure and providing broadband in Villaconejos as recently stated by its president José María Álvarez-Pallete, marketing and sponsorship are other pillars. Wherever there is a major sporting event there is a giant "M" for Movistar. The impact is enormous. The investment, too. And that forces us to make numbers every season.
Movistar entered football as a technological sponsor of clubs such as Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid. The idea was good until the option appeared to acquire the rights to broadcast LaLiga and put its signature on every First and Second Division match. Even in the Champions League with the exclusive broadcast of the best club football competition in the world. To pay for these rights he had to give up some important sponsorships such as motorcycling or the Spanish national football team.
In basketball, Movistar is the main sponsor of Madrid's historic Estudiantes team with a recent renovation until 2025. It also has exclusive rights to the ACB until the 2020-2021 season and its logo will be seen between 2015 and 2021 in around 1,000 matches.
Movistar (Telefónica) has been in the platoon since 1980. It started with Banesto and Reynolds as the most well-known sponsors until 2011 when it moved to the UCI as Movistar. Pedro Delgado, Miguel Induráin or Abraham Olano have been historical figures of the team. In recent years Alejandro Valverde and Nairo Quintana have continued to win titles with the Movistar blue. The contract of the two wheels finishes at the end of 2021 and in the last season it has been evident the exit of important figures due to the budget adjustment.
Rafa Nadal leads other individual athletes such as Carolina Marin, world champion in badminton, or the windsurfer Marina Alabau, who are sponsored by Movistar. The agreement with the tennis player from Manacor revolves around his image outside the tournaments. We have been able to see him in adverts with new Movistar products; his uncle Toni Nadal presents the documentary "La España llena" and the main sports channel is #Vamos, the famous Nadal's shout on the court
Movistar also has a presence in indoor football with the sponsorship of Movistar Inter, the most successful club in the world and the latest league champion. It all goes back to José María García's relationship with Telefónica and Antena 3 in his last stage in radio. In addition, García always had good relations with Juan Villalonga, president of Telefónica between 1996 and 2000, and this assured him the sports sponsorship of his team in Europe. Already in 2008 he became part of his denomination and of the domestic sponsorship. The brand is perfectly associated with Torrejón's team in the world of indoor football. And it is not easy. The amount is renewed every year depending on the objectives and, above all, where Movistar Inter will play the following season. It is not the same to choose to be European champion as to fight for the LNFS and the Spanish Cup. The club accepted the change of name in 2015 so that Movistar could move to the first part of the name. It also changed its colour with blue as the first team and the historic green as the second. Inter only makes reference to the extinct magazine Interviú that was one of its first patrons.
Over the years, Movistar has contributed between one and three million euros to indoor football. The amount is lost in their public balance sheets. It is García himself who negotiates every May. This money is essential to pay salaries like Ricardinho's in recent seasons. But Movistar doesn't boast much about futsal. Just a draw for tickets on its website and the family photo when he goes to his headquarters with the titles. A few years ago Atletico de Madrid was interested in taking over Garcia's indoor football team and creating a section. Movistar helped, but the agreement was not closed.
Everything has been different this season. The team has won the league in a very controversial express playoff. Futsal is not a professional sport and it was not obliged to play, but its structure is. They needed to finish the season to budget for the next one depending on the titles and future competitions. What doesn't help is their departure from the LNFS. The club does not want to make public its resignation because the RFEF does not ensure a decent competition in September. Nor does it want to involve its main sponsor in the legal problems that this historic resignation may entail. Everyone is silent. The television rights are important and they have sold them to Mediapro, the eternal enemy of the Rubiales Federation.
Spanish sport has the blue colour of one of the most important multinational countries. A perfect link that brings all parties together. Soccer, basketball, indoor soccer, cycling, Nadal and many other sportsmen to which you can add Fernando Alonso to have a perfect coverage.
