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Barclays has appointed M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment as its sports marketing partner.

The agency, which takes over from Iris following a pitch process led by The Aperto Partnership, will be tasked with activating across Barclays' sports and entertainment sponsorship portfolio. 

Barclays' creative agency is Bartle Bogle Hegarty London and its media agency is OMD UK.

The brief covers the Football Association, the Premier League and a new record £30m investment in women’s football. Its entertainment sponsorships cover Live Nation festivals, Radio X Presents and Capital’s Summertime and Jingle Bells Balls.

M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment will be responsible for creative, communications and experiential activations of Barclays-sponsored events. The banking brand joins Adidas, Amstel, Ballantine’s, Coca-Cola, Dettol, Dreams, Heineken, Kia, Red Bull, Uefa Women’s Euro England 2022, Virgin Media O2 and Whoop. 

The agency’s UK chief executive, Jamie Wynne-Morgan, told ±±¾©Èü³µpk10 the Barclays and Barclaycard brands are synonymous with sport, music and live entertainment. 

“Barclays is one of the leading champions of women’s football through record investments in the Women’s Super League and as the first title sponsor of  the FA Women’s Championship," he said.

"This year, the brand will celebrate 20 years of partnership with the  Premier League, making it one of the longest-standing brands in football sponsorship. 

“It's an incredibly exciting time to be uniting our shared expertise and ambitions and we look forward to helping both brands build on these game-changing partnerships.”

Barclays is one of the longest-standing brands in football sponsorship and celebrates the 20th anniversary of its Premier League association this year. ±±¾©Èü³µpk10 understands some activity will focus on marking this milestone. 

Barclays Group head of sponsorships and media Tom Corbett told ±±¾©Èü³µpk10 a big focus for the bank was its £30m investment into women's football until 2025 – double the amount of its previous investment.

Barclays is the first title sponsor of the Women’s Super League, and supports the second-tier FA Women’s Championship, and grassroots-level football. 

The bank is working on a campaign to encourage a record number of girls to play football at school for one day.

Corbett said Barclays was “committed and passionate about growing the women’s game and equality in sport, with a goal to make football available to girls at all schools in the UK by 2024.”

Aperto One supported Barclays on the agency review.