Infront and the EHF further enhance the appeal of the marketing platform - new media innovation of YouTube live channel

Vienna, Austria/Zug, Switzerland, 13 January 2012 – Infront Sports & Media, marketing and media partner of the European Handball Federation (EHF), has sealed seven ‘Official Sponsorship’ agreements for the imminent Men’s EHF EURO 2012 which takes place in Serbia from 15 to 29 January 2012.

These agreements will benefit from strong international visibility thanks to the extensive broadcast coverage of EHF EURO 2012 in more than 130 countries and territories. In addition, the EHF and Infront have introduced an Official EHF EURO YouTube channel where all matches can be watched live and free of charge*.

Following the recent 20th Anniversary celebrations of the EHF, the Men’s EHF EURO 2012 will be the 10th edition in the history of the competition.  Infront has been a key partner of the EHF since 1993, handling media and marketing rights for its two flagship events – the Men’s and Women’s EHF EUROs. Ever since, the two partners have constantly worked to enhance the appeal of the events for fans, sponsors and broadcasters and can also, for EHF EURO 2012, announce excellent media and marketing results.

The media rights for live, delayed, news and highlights coverage of the Men’s EHF EURO 2012 have been licensed to 75 broadcasters in key markets across Europe and beyond – including the USA, Canada, Australia, Africa, the Middle East and South America. In order to ensure smooth transmissions, Infront’s Broadcaster Servicing team supports rights-holders in all their broadcast operations and builds direct links to the production unit.

Live YouTube channel as a first for EHF EURO 2012
Infront and the EHF also introduced a digital innovation for the EHF EURO: Fans can watch the matches live and with English commentary on a dedicated YouTube channel. In addition, the EHF EURO video team will produce WebTV clips and daily highlight clips (12 minutes) of all the matches. The service is free-of-charge and can be accessed in countries without licensing restrictions* under www.youtube.com/ehfeuro

Boosting brand communication with introduction of LED boards
On the marketing side, the Men’s EHF EURO 2012 will see the introduction of new LED advertising boards, running along one length-side of the court and complimenting the previous advertising solution offered to sponsors (including floor and referee advertising, static boards and sleeve advertising for all teams). The new system, which was recently acquired by Infront and successfully operated at football events, provides advanced visual brand communication options to partners and sponsors – particularly for television viewing purposes – offering a clear-cut, colour-fast overall picture.

Brands have been quick to access the additional benefits of the enhanced advertising platform, the Official Sponsors for the 2012 event include AJ (office, warehouse and materials handling products supplier), Bauhaus (workshop, house and garden products retailer), Grundfos (pumps and water application systems for industry manufacturer), Raiffeisen Bank (banking group), Intersport (sporting goods retailer), bet-at-home.com (online gaming and sports betting company) and Guide (working clothes).

The EHF and Infront – continuously pushing forward
Tor Lian, EHF President, said: “The EHF EURO competition has come a long way since the first European Championship back in 1994. With the support of our media and marketing partner, Infront, we have been successful in developing a brand that has become one of the most important on the indoor sports market and a highly attractive product for international partners and sponsors. We are looking forward to the Men’s EHF EURO 2012 in Serbia and once again expect a huge global audience as the stars of our sport compete for the European title.”

Stephan Herth, Executive Director Summer Sports of Infront Sports & Media, added: “On the occasion of the tournament’s 10th edition, we want to thank EHF president Tor Lian and his team for their continued trust in Infront. We look forward to the joint delivery of further handball highlights in the future – with the next one already waiting in the wings. Based on a strong line-up of sponsors supporting the event and high levels of media coverage, we expect the Men’s EHF EURO 2012 to tie upon the success of the 2010 edition, engaging handball fans in Europe and beyond.”

The Men’s EHF EURO 2012 will start on Sunday with the opening game between Germany and the Czech Republic.

More information on the Men’s EHF EURO can be found on the official website www.ehf-euro.com/SRB2012/.

*Countries where YouTube service is geo-blocked due to licensing restrictions: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany, France, Belarus, Russia, Israel, Croatia, Iceland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Romania and Spain.

 

For further information please contact:
 
Jörg Polzer / Nike Möhle
Corporate Communications
Infront Sports & Media AG
Tel. +41-41-723 15 15
Fax +41-41-723 15 16
press infrontsports.com
www.infrontsports.com
 
JJ Rowland
Head of Media and Communications
European Handball Federation
Tel: +43 1 801 51 167
Fax: +43 1 801 51 149
rowland eurohandball.com
www.eurohandball.com