LA Dodgers, Emirates Airlines announce new partnership deal

February 19, 2016
(Park Sang-hyuk)

Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Peter Guber, left, president and chief executive officer Stan Kasten, right, pose for camera with Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline. (Park Sang-hyuk)

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers president and chief executive officer Stan Kasten and co-owner Peter Guber announced a new brand partnership with Emirates Airline on Friday at Dodger Stadium.

Emirates will be the official airline sponsor of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

This new deal expands Emirates’ international footprint as a supporter of sports and culture, marking the airline’s entry into the world of baseball, a sport with deep roots in American history and culture. It continues Emirates’ momentum in the realm of sport, with the airline having made its mark on soccer as a sponsor of some of the world’s premier teams including AC Milan, Real Madrid, Arsenal FC, Olympiacos FC, Hamburger SV, and Paris Saint-Germain.

In recent years, Emirates has also expanded its presence in tennis with a sponsorship portfolio that includes the US Open, the Emirates Airline US Open Series, the Australian Open, the Emirates Airline Australian Open Series as well as the French Open. Emirates is also the Premier Partner of the ATP which provides net branding at every men’s event globally and the Emirates Rankings. In the U.S., Emirates also is the main sponsor of the New York Cosmos, the USA Rugby Team and the San Francisco Symphony.

“Baseball is a sport that unifies many communities across the U.S. The spirit of competition and fair play, the continuous drive to excel, and ability to foster a shared passion and connection with its fans – these are all values we share at Emirates,” said Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline. “This is a historic partnership as it is Emirates’ first major league team sponsorship in the U.S. We are proud to be the Official Airline partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are an innovative and cutting edge organization not just in the world of baseball, but also in the broader realm of popular sports and culture. We look forward to a long-term partnership with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and to working with them to support and connect fans and the community to the team.”

As the Official Airline partner, Emirates will have home plate and foul pole signage and will open a new Emirates Lounge, a 70 person hospitality space for Emirates and guests. In addition, Emirates will feature in-game activations, occasional ceremonial first pitches and fan appreciation activities.

To extend the partnership, the Dodgers will be sponsoring the Dubai Little League All Star Travel Teams, which will now go by the name the Dubai Dodgers.

With the Los Angeles Dodgers partnership, Emirates is showing its commitment to California by supporting a great local team that many people in the state and beyond are passionate about.

Emirates first launched services between its hub in Dubai and Los Angeles in 2008 with a Boeing 777-200LR aircraft. As demand grew, in 2013 Emirates began flying the revolutionary double-decked A380 aircraft to serve LA travelers. StartingJuly 1, 2016, Emirates will bring a second daily A380 service to Los Angeles, offering a total of 980 seats per day flying from Los Angeles International Airport to Dubai. This will create more choice for travelers flying abroad, and opportunities for many more international travelers to visit California.

Emirates and the U.S.

Founded in 1985, Emirates is a global connector of people, places and economies. Based in Dubai, the airline’s global network serves 150 destinations in 80 countries across six continents. Its luxurious amenities, regionally inspired gourmet cuisine, award-winning in-flight entertainment system – ice – and unmatched hospitality provided by its iconic multilingual Cabin Crew have made Emirates one of the world’s most recognized airline brands.

Emirates has carried more than 11 million passengers on U.S. flights since launching services to New York in 2004. The airline currently serves 10 U.S. gateways – Orlando (MCO), Chicago (ORD), Boston (BOS), San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX), Seattle (SEA), Dallas (DFW), Houston (IAH), Washington (IAD) and New York (JFK), as well as operating a trans-Atlantic route between JFK and Milan and a freighter service to Atlanta. Emirates SkyCargo transports up to 650 tons of U.S. exports each week – including auto parts from New York, apples and cherries from Seattle, and oil and gas equipment from Houston – stimulating trade and opening new markets for American businesses across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.