A new jersey sponsor for Olympique de Marseille. The Marseille shipowner CMA CGM, world number three in maritime freight, will become OM’s new main sponsor and appear on the Olympians jerseys from July 2023 for two seasons, the two parties announced on Thursday.
Under the terms of this contract, which makes the shipping heavyweight the Ligue 1 club’s “main partner”, “CMA CGM will be present on the front of the jerseys of all the Olympique de Marseille men’s and women’s teams. and young people,” reads a statement. Its logo will also be displayed from July 1, 2023 on the club’s facilities, the Vélodrome stadium and the Robert Louis-Dreyfus coaching center, symbol of a partnership described as “obvious” between these two major Marseille institutions.
A contract “in line with market standards”
CMA CGM, whose headquarters overlook the port of Marseille, will succeed Cazoo, whose logo has adorned the Olympian jersey since the start of the season. This British start-up, specializing in the sale of cars online, had signed for three years but was forced to abandon its sports sponsorship activities due to economic difficulties.
The amount of the agreement between OM and CMA CGM has not been disclosed but sources familiar with the matter, mention is made of sums “in line with current market standards”. The agreement between the club and the shipowner is also broader in scope than the previous contract with Cazoo, which did not include the women’s team, for example, and oscillated between 6 and 8 million euros. per year according to different sources. This is good news for OM’s finances, which are closely scrutinized by UEFA’s financial fair play, after a new loss of 76 million euros suffered in the 2020-2021 season.
CMA CGM, which has posted record profits since last year ($17.9 billion in 2021, $7.6 billion in the second quarter of 2022), was already active with OM in initiatives between their respective foundations. The shipowner, headed by Rodolphe Saadé, also recently invested in the takeover of the regional daily Provence.