Emirates has extended its sponsorship of the FA Cup in England for a further three years. The Dubai airline's partnership with the world's oldest football competition, which was renamed as the Emirates FA Cup in 2015, will now run until 2021. The value of the new deal or the first three-year deal were not disclosed, although the deal signed in 2015 was reported to be worth about £10 million (Dh47.7m) a year. Sports sponsorship continues to be a vital part of Emirates' marketing strategy, particularly football. Its partnerships include AC Milan, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), 2016/17 FA Cup winner Arsenal and Benfica. Earlier this month <a href="https://www.thenational.ae/business/aviation/emirates-to-continue-sponsorship-of-paris-saint-germain-1.616046">it confirmed that it would continue its sponsorship agreement with the Qatar-backed PSG</a>, even as a political crisis between Doha and four Arab countries entered its third month. Emirates started sponsoring the French football club in 2006. The world’s largest carrier by international passengers has created a football-related livery for a number of its planes, including an Emirates FA Cup branded A380 which made its way across the airline's network. "The spirit of this competition, bringing together both small clubs and Premier League giants alike to face each other before an audience of passionate fans is what drives us to continue our investment in this tournament," said Tim Clark, Emirates president. The 2017/18 Emirates FA Cup tournament began on Friday 4 August and saw 737 teams entering the competition and 185 extra-preliminary games taking place across the country. "With the support of Emirates, last season’s competition reached over 912 million fans worldwide," said Mark Bullingham, FA group commercial director. "The partnership will also allow us to continue our investment into the game at all levels. ______________ <strong>Read more:</strong> <strong><a href="https://www.thenational.ae/business/aviation/emirates-adds-to-cairo-services-1.618208">Emirates adds to Cairo services</a></strong> <strong><a href="https://www.thenational.ae/sport/football/arsene-wenger-coy-on-psg-interest-in-alexis-sanchez-as-chilean-ruled-out-for-premier-league-opener-1.618220">Arsene Wenger coy on PSG interest in Alexis Sanchez as Chilean ruled out for Premier League opener</a></strong> ______________ The competition continues with the preliminary round on the weekend of August 18/19 and will culminate in the showpiece final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 19 2018.
