New five-year prolongation of media and marketing partnership to run until 2027/28 season
Zug, Switzerland – Infront has been appointed as the Champions Hockey League's (CHL) exclusive media and marketing partner after the decision was ratified by the 33 CHL shareholders (26 clubs, six leagues and the IIHF) at their extraordinary General Assembly Meeting, in Cham, Switzerland, on Thursday.
The new agreement covers a period of five years from 2023/24 onwards and includes media and marketing rights, overall venue management, digital services and management of broadcast production.
The partnership allows CHL and Infront to continue its long-term development of the tournament building on a foundation which has stimulated consistent growth since the competition's launch in 2014/15.
Peter Zahner, CHL President, said: “Signing another five-year extension is a very strong message for fans and media – it first of all shows that Infront strongly believes in our product, but it also demonstrates the big commitment of all our shareholders and partners who will continue to work hard on establishing the CHL as Europe’s greatest hockey competition. The prolongation gives us long-term stability to develop a premium fan experience and club ice hockey in Europe in general."
Bruno Marty, Senior Vice President ProSports at Infront, said: “This agreement confirms our leading position on the global ice hockey stage as the premier source for premium rights and properties. Infront has been part of the CHL's DNA from the start and its continued growth is something we aim to build on through this new agreement. We have a shared vision on what could be achieved over the next few years and look forward to delivering pan-European hockey to a broader audience.”
About the Champions Hockey League
The league is fully owned and operated by Champions Hockey League AG/Ltd which includes, as its shareholders, 26 European clubs, six National Leagues and the International Ice Hockey Federation. The Shareholder Leagues are from: Austria (EBEL), Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. The best teams from the Challenger Leagues (Belarus, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Norway, Poland and Slovakia) are extended Wild Cards. The 2019/20 season includes 32 teams from 13 leagues who battle in 125 games from August to February to be crowned Europe’s club champions. The CHL season culminates in a one-game Final showdown to be played on 4 February 2020.
