Length of contract: 3 years | Annualised value: US$9 million | Overall value: US$27m
 
Coors Brewers has extended its sponsorship of the League Cup, the second most important cup competition in English soccer, for a further three years.

The partnership between the brewers and Tte Football League will continue until 2012, a total of 14 seasons, making it the longest-running competition sponsorship in English domestic soccer.

The deal sees the competition remain the Carling Cup. Carling, a Coors Brewers brand, has taken the naming rights to the League Cup for the past six seasons. In the five years before that it was the Worthington Cup, another Coors brand.
 
The Carling Cup will receive live coverage from Sky Sports and BBC Sport throughout the three-year term. 

Winning the competition gurantees qualification for European competition in the following season.

"The Carling Cup remains a highly-coveted piece of silverware and an important source of finance for clubs at every level of the professional game," said Football League chairman Lord Brian Mawhinney.

"This significant increase will enhance further the cup's reputation.

"Considering the prevailing economic climate, it is extremely heartening to have the continued support of a widely respected brand such as Carling."

The League Cup has been played since 1961, when Aston Villa sealed the first of their five victories in the competition.

The final of this season's Carling Cup will be contested by current holders Tottenham Hotspur, who beat Chelsea to win last season's trophy, and English, European and world champions Manchester United.