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Received — 3 March 2026 Finance Colombia

Avianca Inks Sponsorship Deal With Miami FC Soccer Team

3 March 2026 at 01:25

Avianca has signed a multi-year agreement to become an official sponsor of Miami FC, a professional soccer club competing in the USL Championship. The partnership comes as the club initiates the construction of a new stadium facility in the south Miami-Dade area and seeks to align with corporate partners as part of a long-term growth strategy.

Under the terms of the deal, the airline will receive brand placement on the official team jerseys. Additionally, the club’s fan interaction area, previously known as the Fútbol305 Zone, has been rebranded as the Avianca Fútbol305 Zone. This activation is intended to provide fans with direct access to players and team events.

The move marks a strategic effort by Avianca to consolidate its presence in the Florida market, which serves as a primary hub for its North American operations. According to Rolando Damas, the airline’s sales director for North America and Europe, Miami is a critical gateway connecting the US with Latin America.

Data provided by the carrier indicates a period of growth in its US operations. In 2025, Avianca transported more than 4,900,000 passengers to and from the US, representing an increase of more than 6% compared to 2024 figures. During that same period, the airline operated 34,200 flights within its US network.

Currently, Avianca operates more than 400 weekly flights across 14 US cities. Its Florida operations specifically include more than 100 weekly flights departing from Miami, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and Tampa. These routes provide connectivity to destinations in Colombia, Ecuador, and Central America, as well as broader links to more than 80 destinations across 25 countries.

Miami FC executives noted that the partnership coincides with the development of world-class facilities in South Florida. Nathan Krum, the club’s chief marketing and revenue officer, stated that the collaboration is part of a broader vision to increase community accessibility and global connectivity.

Avianca is a member of the Star Alliance and is part of the Abra Group. The airline group includes several subsidiaries such as Aerovías del Continente Americano S.A., Taca International Airlines S.A., and Avianca Ecuador S.A.. In 2025, the consolidated group transported approximately 37,000,000 customers globally, operating a fleet of 140 aircraft including Airbus A320 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner models. Its loyalty program, LifeMiles, currently maintains a membership base of approximately 15,000,000 individuals.

The financial terms of the sponsorship were not disclosed, though it follows a trend of Latin American carriers increasing marketing spend within US professional sports to capture a larger share of the diaspora and tourism markets.

 

Ookla: Claro Fastest Mobile Carrier in Colombia, But Movistar Fastest Fixed ISP

2 March 2026 at 23:07

The survey also found that the Medellín suburb of Envigado is the city with the fastest internet connectivity.

According to the latest connectivity report for the second half of 2025 released by Ookla, the Colombian telecommunications market has seen specific performance leaders in both mobile and fixed broadband sectors. The data, which tracks network performance across the country, identifies Claro (NYSE: AMX, BMV: AMX) and Movistar (NYSE: TEF, BMEX: TEF) as the primary benchmarks for speed and user experience during this period.

In the mobile sector, Claro was identified as the provider with the highest network performance. The operator recorded a median download speed of 44.26 Mbps and a median upload speed of 14.03 Mbps. These figures contributed to the company securing the highest rankings for mobile connectivity metrics in the Colombian market for the latter part of the year.

The report also evaluated the fixed internet market, where Movistar maintained a significant lead in throughput. The Telefónica-owned provider registered a median download speed of 308.37 Mbps and a median upload speed of 291.3 Mbps. This performance distinguishes Movistar as the fastest Internet Service Provider (ISP) in the country for fixed line connections.

Colombian carriers continue to deploy fiber optic fixed internet, and 5G wireless throughout the country.

In terms of specific user applications, Claro led the gaming category. The provider recorded the highest metrics for mobile gaming and also achieved the top score for gaming experience among fixed internet providers. This metric typically accounts for latency, jitter, and packet loss, which are critical for real-time interactive applications.

Geographic analysis of the data revealed that Envigado, a municipality located just sout of Medellín in the Antioquia Department, outperformed other major urban centers. Among the most populous cities in Colombia, Envigado recorded the fastest median download speeds for both mobile and fixed connections, reaching 54.76 Mbps and 269.9 Mbps, respectively.

The findings from Ookla provide an objective overview of the infrastructure performance as the Colombian government and private entities continue to expand 5G and fiber optic deployment. While Claro leads in mobile and gaming, Movistar maintains the highest speed profile for fixed residential and business internet.

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