The EFL and Carabao have today announced a two-year extension to their partnership that will see the Thai energy drinks brand continue as Official Title Sponsor of the Carabao Cup until 2022.
The partnership, which began in 2017, has provided the EFL with a platform to reach new international audiences in the ASEAN region and continue the growth of the EFL Cup competition worldwide, while raising the profile and awareness of the Carabao brand amongst football supporters in the UK and abroad.
Derby County enjoyed success in the Carabao Cup in the 2018/19 season. Goals from Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount secured a 0-2 win against Oldham Athletic in the First Round, whilst the Rams ran riot in the Second Round against Hull City.
Martyn Waghorn opened the scoring at the KCOM Stadium, whilst further goals from Florian Jozefzoon, an own goal and Mason Mount secured a convincing 0-4 victory over the Tigers.
That set up a clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford in September in the Third Round of the competition and saw Frank Lampard come up against his former boss Jose Mourinho.
Juan Mata put United ahead early on before Harry Wilson’s memorable free kick from 30 yards drew the Rams level. Jack Marriott netted his first goal for the club with five minutes remaining, however, Marouane Fellaini headed a late equaliser to send the game to penalties.
15 successful penalties followed before Scott Carson saved Phil Jones’ spot kick to ensure the Rams’ passage through to the Fourth Round.
It was an emotional return to Stamford Bridge for Lampard as the Rams faced Chelsea in October. Derby put in a valiant display and twice came from behind to equalise. Jack Marriott made it 1-1, whilst Martyn Waghorn made it 2-2 before the Rams fell to a 3-2 defeat and exited the competition.
Last year’s competition was broadcast in 132 territories to hundreds of millions of people worldwide, with over 1.2 million people attending Carabao Cup fixtures throughout the season. As the first piece of silverware on offer in the domestic season, the competition culminates in a showpiece Wembley Final which in 2019 was contested by Chelsea and Manchester City, with Raheem Sterling scoring the decisive goal to see City crowned winners for a second consecutive year.
Over 2.8 million viewers tuned in to the Carabao Cup draws across the 2018/2019 season and through the partnership, the Cup competition has been able to break new ground hosting draws across the globe in Bangkok, Beijing and Ho Chi Minh City.
In the past two years, a number of famous faces from the football world and beyond have conducted the draws boosting the profile of Carabao and the Cup competition further. In 2018/2019, TV presenter Rachel Riley conducted the Round Four draw alongside former England Women’s player, Rachel Yankey in the first all-female Carabao Cup draw.
Last season’s Semi-Final draw, broadcast on Sky Sports, was one of the most high-profile and most watched Cup draws as TV personality and Arsenal supporter Piers Morgan wore a Tottenham Hotspur shirt after losing a sporting wager to fellow draw guest and former Spurs player Peter Crouch.
As Official Title Sponsor of the EFL Cup, the renewed agreement will see Carabao have prominent digital and in stadia presence across all Cup fixtures and a range of assets including tickets to share exclusively with their customers.
The extension of the partnership is a product of the EFL’s work with brands internationally to help showcase EFL competitions and sponsors on a global stage.
Shaun Harvey, EFL Chief Executive, said: “Our partnership with Carabao over the last two seasons has been hugely successful for both parties, allowing us to continue the growth of our competitions on both the domestic and international stage whilst providing Carabao with unparalleled reach to millions of football supporters as they build awareness of their brand and look to convert EFL supporters to Carabao customers.
“I’d like to thank Carabao for their support since 2017 and with an additional two year extension I’m sure both they and the EFL will continue to benefit from the relationship moving forwards.”
John Luck, CMO of Intercarabao UK, said: “Our sponsorship of the internationally renowned EFL Cup has been a game-changer for us over the past 2 years in terms of driving awareness and sales of Carabao. We’re committed to growing the brand both in the UK and abroad by appealing to energy-starved men and women of all ages and bringing even more consumers into the category. With over 27 million fans in the UK alone, football remains an important asset to help us achieve our growth plans.”
