Following the news that Rewe Group has moved to terminate its sponsorship deal with the German Football Association;

Conrad Wiacek, Head of Sport Analysis at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“Rewe Group’s decision to terminate its decade-long sponsorship with the German Football Association, in light of its decision to ban players from wearing the OneLove armband at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, shows that brands are willing to highlight inclusivity at the expense of partnerships with the world’s most popular sport. Having spent over $15 million over the course of the most recent contract with the German Football Association, this is not an insignificant intervention from one of Germany’s biggest retail organizations.

“The German Football Association generates the most sponsorship revenue of any team competing at the World Cup, according to GlobalData’s ‘Business of the World Cup’ report. While other key sponsors such as adidas remain steadfast in their support of ‘Die Mannschaft’, pressure is likely to continue to come from brands who wish to highlight their social conscience credentials.

“As a result of the termination, the German FA is considering legal action against FIFA due to the loss of earnings due to FIFA’s policy. This will add to FIFA’s legal woes with Budweiser also considering legal action against the governing body.”