WhatsApp Secures Landmark F1 Sponsorship Deal

Meta owned instant messaging app WhatsApp has sealed its inaugural sporting sponsorship deal with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team.?

The??multi-year partnership sees WhatsApp as the official messaging partner of the F1 team, and it also enables fans of the F1 team to have exclusive content.?

Following the deal, Toto Wolff, Chief Executive and Team Principal of Mercedes F1 Team,?said,?“WhatsApp plays a critical role in communications across everything we do at Mercedes-AMG F1. From coordinating our operations, sharing ideas, and supporting one another through the journey of each season, it brings the team closer together.”

“It also helps accelerate the speed of communication and decision-making across the organization. As two innovative and forward-thinking brands, I can’t think of a more natural partnership. We look forward to working with WhatsApp and bringing the breadth of our stories to life in innovative and original ways.”

Will Cathcart, Head of WhatsApp,?added,?“We’ve been amazed at how the Mercedes F1 team relies on WhatsApp to keep the organization running. The leadership and values they have demonstrated to push motorsport forward for years has been inspiring. I’m proud we’ll work together to reveal how WhatsApp brings their team together and fans closer to the action.”

According to ASN data, social network platforms have invested close to US$14.9m in the Asian sponsorship market since Q121. Unsurprisingly, the market share has been dominated by Chinese players namely Kuai Shou (32.4%), WeChat (13.6%), Xiaohongshu (13.4%) and NBA Weibo (10.4%) while Meta’s predecessor Facebook had spent a mere US$283k in 2021, giving it a 1.8% share of the category’s total investment. It’s about time Meta and WhatsApp start eyeing more partnerships in Asia.

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This article was first published in ASN's November 2023 no. 4 newswire.