MSC Cruises has joined forces with Chelsea Football Club in a deal that will see the cruise line become the Premier League club’s official global cruise partner.

The agreement, which officially starts in January and runs until June 2021, will enable MSC to harness the global reach of Chelsea FC and the approximately 3 billion people who regularly watch the Premier League worldwide.

The cruise line confirmed that representatives of the club will play a part in the naming ceremony for MSC Bellissima in Southampton in March. There will be Chelsea memorabilia in the British Pub on board the ship.

Agents will also have the chance to experience hospitality at Chelsea matches.

The multi-million-pound deal also includes LED perimeter advertising, player engagement and a dedicated digital marketing presence.

Speaking to Cruise Trade News, MSC’s MD UK & Ireland Antonio Paradiso said: “We will be able to provide agents with money-cannot-buy experiences. We will have a limited number of tickets for a VIP experience.

“The winners will be able to accompany Chelsea players on away games in European competitions. We want our agent partners to engage with the magical world of football.

“Chelsea is one of the most successful clubs in Europe and there is a massive audience there. The global outreach of the club is second to none.

“One of my main priorities is to engage with new audiences. If we want to grow the business, we need to be creative. This will help us exploit new opportunities.

“On top the LED screens, VIP hospitality, etc, what is really important is that we will be able to engage with Chelsea fans through exclusive media campaigns. The sky is the limit in terms of creativity.”

MSC has run similar partnerships with other football organisations, including AC Milan, Napoli and Juventus, Bayern Munich, and Valencia.

MSC CEO Gianni Onorato added: “These have always proven to be successful. In our analysis, Chelsea has interests in Asia and North America, for example.”

Chelsea’s commercial director Chris Townsend explained: “We are delighted to announce a partnership with MSC Cruises at such an exciting time for their business.

“With the imminent launch of their new ship, it is the perfect time to begin our partnership and we truly believe that working together, we can help MSC Cruises to achieve their strategic goals, both locally, in the UK and Ireland, and globally”