The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has just signed Taiwan-based electronics maker HTC as the official partner for smartphones and tablet computers in a new three-year partnership deal. This deal will last until the end of the 2014/2015 league season and applies to both the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.

What exactly does this mean for HTC? HTC's presence will surely be felt more in all the major league matches now that they are classified as an official supplier partner. However, what's particularly interesting about this new deal is the fact that it specifically mentions tablet computers.

If you recall, HTC pulled out of the U.S. tablet market recently and it is said that it does not have plans to introduce any new tablet models any time soon. However, this announcement could be taken as an indication that it's still in on the tablet game and will roll out a new device within the duration of its new UEFA contract.

Of course, it's also likely that HTC will simply supply UEFA with old tablet models, which it does have, and then simply keep on making new smartphones as part of its apparent plan at the moment. So far, HTC hasn't confirmed that it will indeed make new tablets as part of the UEFA deal. But there's always hope; the world of consumer electronics is very fast-changing, after all.