The English Football League (EFL) and Carabao Energy Drink have agreed to a three-year extension, with Carabao remaining the Title Sponsor of the Carabao Cup until the end of the 2026/27 season.
The extension will see the new term take the EFL and Carabao association to 10 seasons, making the energy drink provider the longest Title Sponsor in League Cup history.
Carabao became the Title Sponsor of the 2017/18 League Cup competition, with Manchester City claiming the title with 3-0 win over Arsenal. Since the commencement of the sponsorship deal, Manchester City have won the Carabao Cup a further three times, including consecutively between 2018 to 2021.
Nine-time League Cup winners Liverpool (in 2022) and current holders Manchester United are the only other clubs to have lifted the trophy since.
The Carabao Cup Final itself is now recognised as one of the most high-profile football Finals in the sporting calendar as showcased by a bumper Wembley Stadium crowd of 87,306 fans and a record audience of 4.26 million as Erik Ten Hag’s Manchester United overcame the challenge of Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United, to win 2-0 and lift the Carabao Cup for a sixth time.
Since the partnership began, Carabao and the EFL have activated internationally across Thailand and Asia showcasing the partnership and the competition to global audiences.
Joint campaigns have included the Carabao 7-A-Side Cup, most recently hosted in Thailand in November 2022 by former League Cup winners David James and Louis Saha. The ‘Coach the Coaches’ initiative, launched in 2021, has seen coaches from EFL Clubs travel to Southeast Asia to improve and develop the standard of football and coaching in Thailand.
Ben Wright, EFL Chief Commercial Officer, said: “The Carabao Cup is an incredibly valuable asset to the EFL and its Clubs, and the relationship with Carabao over the last seven years has played an important role in the life of English football.
“The longevity of Carabao’s association with the League Cup only amplifies the value the competition holds in the football calendar for Clubs and their supporters up and down the country.
“We thank Carabao for their commitment to the EFL, our Clubs and our competitions and look forward to this next term and celebrating a decade of partnership.”
Carabao Group CEO, Sathien Sathientham said: “We are delighted to renew with the EFL and extend our title sponsorship of the Carabao Cup through to 10 seasons in 2027.
“The competition has seen the brand go from strength to strength, both in the UK and globally, as we see the positive impacts of increased awareness of Carabao products and customer base among football fans.
“We are honoured to play our part in a competition and event such as the Carabao Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, and look forward to continuing our relationship with the EFL, the 92 participating clubs and all of their fans for a further three seasons.”
Round Four fixtures of the 2023/24 Carabao Cup will be played the week commencing 30 October.
