Oct.20 (GMM) Virgin has emerged as the big winning sponsor of the 2010 season, pulling off brand exposure that far exceeds the cost of its deal with the Brawn team this year.
Sir Richard Branson penned the deal before the eventually championship winning team captured a single grid position or point at the season opening Australian grand prix in March.The contract signed was for about $400,000 per race, or less than $7 million for the entire 2009 calendar. It is likely, however, that a slight increase on the $400k rate was negotiated at some point this year.A much more comprehensive deal was speculated earlier this season, but Brawn's success ramped up the price tag, and Virgin is now expected to link up with the new Manor team for 2010.But Virgin will make the switch having notched up about $60 million in brand exposure, through Brawn's nearly 9 nine hours of international television coverage, according to the media analysis experts Margaux Matrix.
