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Going into the 2013 season, the Colorado Rapids had the dubious honor of being the only team in MLS history that had neither had a Designated Player nor a jersey sponsorship. They finally broke the DP chain of that in half at the end of the season when Gabriel Torres, and it took them less than a year to finally knock out the jersey sponsorship hex as well. It was announced earlier today that the Rapids were pairing with Ciao Telecom, Inc. as their first jersey sponsor, in a deal that will last 4-5 seasons.
Ciao's website also confirmed the deal, and they seem just as excited to be partnering with the Rapids as the team and their fans seem about partnering with them.
What exactly does this mean for you, the loyal Rapids fan? Well, for starters, you'll get first dibs on cool prizes, raffles, and giveaways during Rapids games - both home and abroad. As a fan, you'll be given exclusive access to try out new tech products that haven't been introduced to the rest of the world yet.
It's a very good looking deal as well. I've said for a long time that the Rapids would be foolish to leap at any chance to get a sponsor just for the sake of having one, especially if it was going to stick them with some company offering only a half-million dollars a year for several years when better opportunities might come along. This deal is worth a bit more than that, coming in at $2 million a year according to the Denver Post's Terrace Blog.
MORE: Ciao Telecom confirms to @denverpost that the deal is 4+ years, roughly $2 million per year http://t.co/UkRHWem3pU
— The Terrace (@TerraceBlog) May 1, 2014
Oh, and it's worth noting that Ciao Telecom isn't a pyramid sc "multi-level marketing" group like some of the cash-grab jersey sponsorships have featured in MLS before. The new kits with the Ciao logo will be featured for the first time this weekend against the LA Galaxy.
