Danfoss completes Champions Hockey League line up in an Official Sponsorship agreement signed with Infront

The global technology engineering company has secured the last remaining sponsorship package with the Pan-European club ice hockey competition

Zug, Switzerland - The international sports marketing company Infront Sports & Media has signed an Official Sponsorship agreement for the Champions Hockey League (CHL) with Danfoss – the global producer of products and services used in areas such as infrastructure, food, energy and climate. The duration of the contract is initially for a one year period with an extension option available.

The sponsorship package falls on the second level of the commercial hierarchy and concludes the sponsorship contingent for the competition with the brand joining a total of nine other international companies.

The rights package provides Danfoss and two of its AC drives brands – VLT and VACON – strong brand positioning in camera view with board and under ice advertising as well as inclusion across all print communications. Furthermore, Danfoss will benefit from a ticket allocation for use by its subsidiaries and sales network.

A unique platform to support European sales activities

Heikki Hiltunen, Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing & Service for Danfoss Drives, commented: “The Champions Hockey League, as the only Pan-European ice hockey platform, is a highly compelling opportunity. It offers our brands superb exposure across many of our key sales regions, such as Central and northern Europe, which all hold a strong affiliation to the sport. This cooperation gives Danfoss Drives a good opportunity to offer inspiring experiences to our customers and key stakeholders as well as utilise CHL content in our marketing communications. We are therefore highly confident to see beneficial results in our customer and sales activities across Europe.”

Bruno Marty, Executive Director Winter Sports of Infront, said: “The Champions Hockey League is continuously developing – on technical, sportive and commercial ends. The addition of Danfoss as a new brand in the sponsorship line-up demonstrates that we are on the right path. With one Presenting Sponsor, three Official Sponsors and six Official Partners, we are now sold out and ready to tackle the upcoming season.”

New qualification system as of 2017/18 season

Following the third General Assembly Meeting of the CHL held in June, a new qualification system from the 2017/18 season onwards has been presented. A new total of 32 professionally ranked teams will be granted entry based purely on sporting merit. Within the new criteria, 24 of the best teams from the founding national leagues, 8 from the Challenge Leagues with a maximum of 5 teams per country will be accepted into the competition alongside the previous season CHL Champion and the Continental Cup Winner which are granted automatic qualification.

2016/17 season about to start

The 2016/17 Champions Hockey League season will open with four games on 16 August 2016. Game Day 1 will conclude on 19 August. In the Group Stage, 48 teams will compete in 16 groups, with winners and runners-up all qualifying for the Round of 32. The final will be played on 7 February 2017 at the home arena of the club with the best record leading up to the final.

About Danfoss

Danfoss engineers technologies that enable the world of tomorrow to do more with less. We meet the growing need for infrastructure, food supply, energy efficiency and climate-friendly solutions. Our products and services are used in areas such as refrigeration, air conditioning, heating, motor control and mobile machinery. We are also active in the field of renewable energy as well as district heating infrastructure for cities and urban communities. Our innovative engineering dates back to 1933 and today, Danfoss is a world-leader, employing 23,400 employees and serving customers in more than 100 countries. We are still privately held by the founding family.

About the Champions Hockey League

The league is fully owned and operated by the Champions Hockey League AG/Ltd which includes, as its shareholders, 26 Founding Clubs, six national Founding Leagues and the International Ice Hockey Federation. The Founding National Leagues are: Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. The best teams from the Challenge Leagues (Belarus, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Norway, Poland and Slovakia) are extended Wild Cards (C-Licenses). The 2016/17 season opens 16 August 2016 with 48 teams. Poland is the new and 13th league in the competition. The teams which participate in the 2016/17 season represent a total of 267 national championships between them.

About Infront Sports & Media

Infront Sports & Media is the most respected sports marketing company in the world, managing a comprehensive portfolio of top properties. Led by President & CEO Philippe Blatter, Infront covers all aspects of successful sporting events – including distribution of media rights, sponsorship, media production and event operation – and has won a reputation for its high standards of delivery. As the number one player in winter sport and with a leading role in football, summer and endurance sports, Infront enjoys long-lasting partnerships with 170 rights-holders and hundreds of sponsors and media companies. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, Infront has a team of more than 900 experienced staff working from over 35 offices across more than 15 countries, delivering 4,100 event days of top class sport around the world every year. In November 2015, Infront was integrated into Wanda Sports Holding, part of the Chinese conglomerate the Dalian Wanda Group.