The Magic Of The Cup – How Brands Can Benefit From The Emirates FA Cup

The world’s oldest national football tournament, the Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly referred to as the ‘FA Cup’, has been a part of British sporting heritage since 1871.

Today, over 700 football clubs from England and Wales enter the competition each year. The tournament encompasses some of the nations’ biggest clubs from the Premier League and English Football League, as well as teams from the lowest leagues of the football pyramid.

The Emirates FA Cup is known for creating magical moments, with cult-heroes and iconic teams forever etching themselves into footballing folklore - but it does much more than that.

In this insight we explore the value of the Emirates FA Cup for brands, the best fixtures from the upcoming third-round and how SPORTFIVE helps to deliver the ‘magic of the FA Cup’.

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Dominic Mills

Published on January 3rd, 2023

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In this Insight:

A unique audience with an emotional appeal

With its roots firmly nestled in both British and world sporting history, the Emirates FA Cup encapsulates what most people love about sport - it’s for everyone.

Year on year, the tournament creates an exciting environment where teams and players from across the footballing pyramid face-off outside the restrictions of their usual leagues, often producing memorable matches such as the ‘David vs Goliath’ moments, where lower-league teams come up against the famous giants in the Premier League.

This unique environment has captured the hearts of football fans since its inception. As an inclusive brand of football, the Emirates Fa Cup generates a very broad audience, where free-to-air broadcasting in the UK, attracts viewers from across the nation, including a more unique audience than typical football viewers.

In particular, many families enjoy a rich tradition of watching the Emirates FA Cup, with it being the first real experience of football for many.

As well as attracting a unique audience in the UK, the Emirates FA Cup generates viewers from across the globe. The success of the English Premier League over the last three decades has raised the profile of many football teams in the country, drawing interest and investment from all corners of the globe.

This year’s Emirates FA Cup 3rd round

The third round of the Emirates FA Cup is always a special occasion. It’s at this stage of the tournament that the 44 best teams from across the English footballing pyramid join the victorious sides from the second round.

As 20 teams from the English Premier League and 24 teams from the EFL Championship enter the competition, the third round always seems to provide mouth-watering fixtures.

This year’s third round fixtures have the potential to replicate some magical moments from years gone by, including some great upsets, with both League Two side Gillingham and League One side Oxford United looking to slay the former Premier League winners Leicester and Arsenal, respectively.

Elsewhere, Arsenal’s title rivals Manchester City will host Chelsea in a match which is sure to produce plenty of thrills and drama. National League sides Chesterfield and Boreham Wood are the lowest ranked teams left in the competition and will be hoping to produce some magic to keep their cup run alive.