UAE flag carrier airline Emirates has renewed its long-running naming rights partnership with the New Zealand sailing team ahead of its 2027 defense of the iconic America’s Cup.
Emirates will retain title sponsor, official airline, and official carrier designations, through the 2027 edition of the event, covering all preliminary regattas also.
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The airline will maintain branding presence across the racing yacht, including the main sail and crew uniforms, as well as the chase boats, tenders, and team base.
This will extend to the team’s digital and social media channels, as well as at team-organized live events.
New Zealand, which has won the last four editions of the America’s Cup (most recently in 2024), will begin preliminary regattas later in 2026, before its 2027 defense.
Emirates has sponsored the team for over 20 years, and this latest agreement is the fifth such renewal and illustrates the brand’s commitment to sponsoring elite sailing events.
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By GlobalDataThe airline is also a sponsor of the international sailing series SailGP, as well as the title sponsor of its current champions, the Emirates Great Britain team, and the Dubai Sail Grand Prix and Great Britain Sail Grand Prix events.
Its sponsorship of the America’s Cup may yet be set to become even more valuable, as the competition is set for a major revamp headed by Team New Zealand aimed at modernization, including a new biennial calendar format.
If the America’s Cup occurs more regularly than is currently the case (the event currently has no schedule), then Emirates will benefit from even greater levels of exposure, in turn generating greater sponsorship revenue for Team New Zealand also.
The 2027 edition of the America’s Cup will take place in Naples, Italy, with entry to remain open through January 31, 2026.
Outside of sailing, Emirates has commercial deals with multiple sports properties, including the NBA (basketball), ICC (cricket), the DP World Tour (golf), and the FA Cup (soccer).
Emirates is also the shirt sponsor of several major European soccer clubs, such as Real Madrid, Arsenal, AC Milan, Benfica, and Lyon, while it also has a significant partnership with Bayern Munich.
This week, Emirates named its first-ever tennis brand ambassador in the form of current world #1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.
