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United Airlines is the latest sponsor of Wrexham AFC, the Welsh soccer team bought by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in 2020 for $2.5 million.
The airline is the latest of several sponsors the brand has obtained since its celebrity takeover, helping the team grow in popularity; last year, FX premiered the documentary series Welcome to Wrexham, which chronicles the team under its new ownership.
United’s logo will appear on the front of men’s and women’s team jerseys for the 2023–24 season. It replaces TikTok, with which Wrexham signed a two-year deal in 2021.
Wrexham will travel to the US on United flights for its AFC American tour. United’s loyalty customers will get “special access to Wrexham AFC matches in the US and in Wales through its MileagePlus Exclusives platform,” according to a press release.
“The passion and perseverance of this team on the rise has captured the imagination of people in the US and around the world. When the Wrexham AFC players deliver even more heart-pumping moments this season, we couldn’t be prouder that United Airlines will be written across their chests,” Josh Earnest, United Airlines’ chief communications officer, said in the release.
Reynolds and McElhenney announced the sponsorship in a video:
Expedia signed a two-year deal with Wrexham in 2021. This year, the brand also enlisted STōK Cold Brew Coffee as the stadium sponsor, and sparkling nonalcoholic beverage company Betty Buzz, founded by Reynolds’s wife, actor Blake Lively, as its official training kit sponsor.