Full Frontal Sponsorship
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FC Barcelona, after years of stubbornly refusing to tarnish its iconic shirts with sponsorship, recently caved. In December the Spanish champion announced a record deal with the Qatar Foundation. Despite being a nonprofit, the Qatari educational organization has enough spare cash to invest $204.5 million over five years to place its name on the Catalan team's jerseys starting next season.
English champion Manchester United was forced to scramble for a new partner during the global recession after original sponsor AIG received a government bailout. Chicago-based Aon stepped in, though as risk managers and reinsurers, it peddles a product the vast majority of the team's local fans neither know nor care about.