Sunshine Matters

I am pleased to share that VISIT FLORIDA has launched year two of our partnership with Fulham Football Club and the Jacksonville Jaguars to promote the Sunshine State in the London market.  With the United Kingdom as one of Florida’s top overseas markets, the opportunity to engage with fans around two passions – travel and football – is vitally important.

The terms of the new $1.25 million deal for 2016-2017 include the VISIT FLORIDA logo emblazoned on all home, away and third Fulham jerseys, a massive mural on the roof of Craven Cottage Stadium that can be seen by aircraft approaching Heathrow airport, riverside signage on the Thames, LED digital messaging in the stands and dugouts, and on field and pre- and post-match interview backdrops.  Other Fulham marketing initiatives involve promotional opportunities, as well as tailored digital and social media engagement through the Club’s collective digital reach, which was the highest of all Sky Bet Championship clubs last season.    

The deal also incorporates VISIT FLORIDA messaging and promotional opportunities with the Jacksonville Jaguars tied to their October 2 game against the Indianapolis Colts at Wembley Stadium in London.  This marks the fourth year the Jaguars have played an AFC South opponent as a home game in London as part of the NFL’s International Series.

The UK is Florida’s top overseas travel market with 1.7 million visitors to the state in 2015 who spent $1.5 billion.  Outside of the U.S. and Canada, the UK has the most direct scheduled seats on flights into Florida, with 1.7 million in 2016.  The average party size for UK visitors is 2.4, the largest of Florida’s international origin markets.

This unique partnership provides VISIT FLORIDA with a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness among UK travelers for Florida’s diverse array of year-round outdoor holiday experiences, including theme parks, sightseeing and world-class sporting events.  As determined by a third-party evaluation by Nielsen Sports, the deal with Fulham and the Jaguars is worth a minimum of $4.5 million and has a return on investment of 3.6:1.

“Our VISIT FLORIDA partnership combines the best of two worlds, the UK’s preferred leisure destination that is Florida and one of the UK’s most respected and beloved football clubs that is Fulham,” said Fulham chairman and Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan. “I am elated to have VISIT FLORIDA returning to Fulham and the Jags for what I believe is one of the more distinctive and imaginative partnerships, not only in football, but in all of sports.”

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