Alibaba’s AliExpress eyes European success with Euro2024 football sponsorship, after rival Temu cracked US market with Super Bowl ads
- Euro 2024, which kicks off in Germany on June 14, will be sponsored by Alibaba in a bid to build up its e-commerce presence in the region
- The UEFA Euro games are among the world’s most popular sporting events, with Euro 2020 accumulating 5.2 billion global views of the live matches, UEFA said
Alibaba Group Holding’s international e-commerce platform AliExpress is betting on a European market breakthrough by sponsoring this year’s European Football Championship, or Euro 2024, a move that comes after its rival Temu cracked the US market through ads that ran in the Super Bowl.
AliExpress is the first exclusive e-commerce platform partner for the national men’s teams of European members of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the association said in a statement on its website on Wednesday. The monetary amount involved in the deal was not disclosed.
Euro 2024, which kicks off in Germany on June 14, marks Alibaba’s accelerated bid to build up its e-commerce presence in the region.
“[AliExpress] will bring fans even closer to the action, with great deals on a vast selection of popular and trending products,” said Gary Topp, European commercial director at AliExpress. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.
Analysts said that sponsoring a game with a strong fan base in Europe would help its brand recognition and contribute to its growth in the market.
“It will play a significant role in elevating its brand and clout, which in turn will drive the growth of its European business, especially on the consumer front,” said Zhuang Shuai, founder and chief analyst at e-commerce consultancy Bailian.
Zhang Zhoupin, a cross-border e-commerce analyst with Hangzhou-based consultancy 100ec.cn, echoed the view, saying that the sponsorship deal will help Alibaba acquire more customers.