The mobile phone network operator Orange has announced that it is to sponsor the UEFA Euro 2012 football event in partnership with Sony Mobile. Euro 2012 takes places in Poland and the Ukraine later this year.

This type of sponsorship is not new, however. Orange and others have done similar things in the past, as they believe it is a very easy way of getting their brand message across while doing something useful at the same time.

It seems that football fans are as enthusiastic about their smartphones as they are about football. Many often use their devices to monitor other games or relay information back to their friends at home.

Orange, however, is a little different from other companies in that its relationship with world football has been ongoing for many years now, notably in Africa. The network has for a long time been committed to getting mobile phone technology into the hands of those who would ordinarily not obtain it. As a consequence, the relationship has proved beneficial for both parties.

One of Orange’s innovations is Orange Football Fan Club. This provides information about worldwide football. It was originally launched in ten countries including Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar and Uganda, and the firm hopes to expand its reach even further.

Doing this has enabled Orange to get 150,000 customers across the African continent. Orange is not the only company committed to Africa and African football. The Perform Group recently bought the web site Goal.com, which has some 20 million registered users. A spokesperson said: “…in Africa football initiatives attract brands and deliver customers.”