Enhanced DFB Fan Area around the Berlin Olympia Stadium gets sponsors actively involved with fans

Zug, Switzerland / Berlin, Germany, 14 May 2010 - The DFB Cup Final takes place this Saturday between SV Werder Bremen and FC Bayern München in Berlin. Sponsors and fans will benefit from a newly extended and enhanced DFB Fan Area around the Olympia Stadium introduced by Infront Sports & Media and the DFB (German Football Association). The new area will create excitement and pull in the crowds, offering a variety of fan entertainment - a perfect platform for sponsors to get in touch with the visitors.

The DFB Cup Final marks one of the highlights of the German football season - not only for the fans, but also for the sponsors, who benefit from worldwide public interest and high spectator numbers. The new Fan Area is another step forward for Infront, working to provide DFB Cup partners with extensive marketing and communication opportunities – all coordinated from one central source. The new DFB Cup marketing structure was launched by Infront and the DFB for the 2009/2010 season, the goals set were ambitious. As well as reducing the total number of advertising partners and streamlining the advertising presence, the strategy aims to strengthen the perception of the DFB Cup as a premium brand. The new concept provides an exclusive and consistent all-year communication platform for sponsors and increased brand visibility.

The new DFB Fan Area – an interactive platform for sponsors
The DFB Fan Area, which is managed by Infront, is the most recent proof of the agency following up on its promise. At the Olympic Square (Olympischer Platz) in Berlin - which surrounds the stadium, the four top partners of the DFB Cup (Deutsche Post, Deutsche Telekom, Jack Wolfskin and Bitburger) as well as other selected partners occupy company booths offering various fan activities targeted at all ages; including a Robokeeper (Deutsche Post), a street football pitch (McDonald’s), a classic car exhibition and rally (Mercedes-Benz), a football pitch with young DFB players in a tournament (adidas) and many more things to discover.

Stephan Herth, Executive Director Summer Sports, stresses the additional value for the sponsors: “We are offering our commercial partners more than just the classical perimeter advertising board in the stadium. We want to facilitate interaction, in order to create special moments and emotional links between the brands and consumers.”

The DFB Fan Area will open its doors at 11am. The fan activities will be accompanied by an entertainment programme on the Radio 104.6 RTL stage - including interviews, musical performances and raffles. Working together with Berlin’s most wide-reaching radio channel will further help to convey each sponsor’s message.

Infront Sports & Media – a renowned player in football
Infront Sports & Media, based in Zug, Switzerland, is an experienced international full service sports marketing company with a capacity for innovation that is helping to transform the industry. These innovations have enhanced every area of sports marketing, including distribution of rights, host broadcast, programme production, event operations, brand development, sponsorship and even online entertainment. Infront has 500 employees across 24 offices in 10 countries.

Infront has an extensive football portfolio. The Group is a partner to the top European football leagues, including Italy’s Lega Calcio and the French Football League (Ligue 1) – handling the host broadcast up until 2011/2012. Also other national football associations including the DFB in Germany and several clubs such as SV Werder Bremen, FC Schalke 04, U.S. Città di Palermo and S.S. Lazio Rome. Infront successfully delivered the global media rights sales and host broadcast of the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cup™ and is also best known for working with the sport’s governing bodies. Today, Infront is involved in the distribution of the Asian media rights to the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup™ (in a joint venture with Dentsu). The company’s dedicated and highly specialised host broadcast organisation Host Broadcast Services (HBS), is handling the host broadcast of the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup™ and also contributes to UEFA Euro™ events.


For further information, please contact:

Jörg Polzer
Associate Director, Communication & PR
Infront Sports & Media AG
Tel. +41 41 723 15 15
Fax +41 41 723 15 16
press infrontsports.com

www.infrontsports.com