DirecTV signs multiyear deal as kit sponsor for the MLS expansion San Diego FC

AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO (AP) — DirecTV has signed a multiyear deal to become the jersey partner of the San Diego FC, its first foray into kit sponsorship in MLS while expanding its presence in the local sports market.

DirecTV will appear across the front of SDFC’s primary and secondary jerseys when the expansion club begins play in February.

“It’s always the most important commercial partnership, because it sits right on your heart, right on the front of your jersey,” said Tom Penn, San Diego FC’s CEO. “From that standpoint it’s really important to pick the right partner.”

Thursday’s announcement comes about five weeks after SDFC signed Mexican star Chucky Lozano to a four-year contract.

“It’s equally foundational,” Penn said. “There’s nothing more important than a foundational player, your foundational coach. Those kinds of things are critically important. But a foundational kit partner is a big deal. I don’t know how many tens, hundreds of thousands of jerseys we’ll end up seeing out in the community, but every single one of them is going to have DirecTV right across their heart. So. it’s woven into fabric, I guess pun intended, of the club.”

DirecTV sponsored the Holiday Bowl last year and remains in talks to sponsor the game moving forward. Holiday Bowl officials announced recently that after two years at Petco Park, the game will be moved to Snapdragon Stadium, which will be SDFC’s home pitch.

Bowl CEO Mark Neville said officials wanted to first sort out conference affiliations and are “working on it” as far as DirecTV’s continuing sponsorship.

“They love San Diego, they love soccer,” Penn said about the satellite TV provider, which is once again sponsoring the Soccer Champions Tour of friendlies involving European clubs in U.S. cities.

SDFC will become MLS’s 30th club. It is owned by Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Mansour and the Sycuan Tribe, the first Native American tribe to have an ownership stake in a professional soccer team. The ownership group also includes San Diego Padres star third baseman Manny Machado.

“It’s an exciting sponsorship deal here for us at DirecTV,” said Vince Torres, the chief marketing officer. “For us it really expands what we’re doing in the space of soccer. … Now we have this opportunity here and I think it’s fairly unique, with a big market right around the corner from our headquarters in L.A. that presented itself and we jumped all over it.”

DirecTV will also be involved in community outreach programs such as support for local nonprofits like Ronald McDonald House Charities and support for local active military and veterans.