Major new sponsorship deal creates 'Turkish Airlines Euroleague'

National flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) is to become the main sponsor of Europe's most challenging basketball competition, Euroleague, Sabah daily reported yesterday. The league will be named after the company and so will be known as the Turkish Airlines Euroleague, a move that is expected to boost THY's popularity across the continent. The company has already signed sponsorship agreements with major European soccer teams Barcelona and Manchester United. THY was the sponsor of Euroleague's Final Four competition in May, featuring Barcelona, CSKA Moscow, Partizan and Olympiakos, and its logos and advertisements covered the stadium arena. This new deal is much larger and will have a much higher profile, as the company's name will be part of the competition. THY has a long tradition of harnessing sports teams and events to promote the airline. After signing agreements to be the official carrier of Barcelona and Manchester United, the company also reached similar deals with Greek basketball team Maroussi and Germany's Gloria Giants Dusseldorf. Japanese football club the Urawa Red Diamonds has also signed a sponsorship agreement with THY.