Salzburg, Austria – As Official Main Sponsor of the prestigious ski jumping series for the 2015/16 season, Intersport is to remain true to the Vierschanzentournee. The extension of the agreement was signed with Infront Sports & Media, exclusive marketing partner of the Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV) and the German Ski Association (DSV) for the Vierschanzentournee.
Under the partnership, Intersport, the world's leading sports retailer, will benefit across all four competitions from comprehensive brand visibility on the LED and rotation boards and athlete bibs and in Innsbruck on the leader board and winner backdrop. Further promotional and activation rights are also included.
Long-standing tradition with the series
Franz Julen, CEO of Intersport International Corporation (IIC), said: “We share a long-standing tradition with the four competitions - overall the Intersport brand has been visible at over 25 editions of the Vierschanzentournee. For this reason, the renewal of the sponsorship commitment was strategically very important for us. The Vierschanzentournee is a highlight in Nordic skiing and provides an ideal opportunity for us to communicate to our target groups over several generations - particularly thanks to the appealing time slot at the turn of the year. Winter sport is and remains one of the major product categories for Intersport. The visibility at the Vierschanzentournee ideally complements our various winter sports marketing activities.”
Michael Witta, Managing Director of Infront Austria, added: “For fans and TV viewers, the Vierschanzentournee is a fixed-point in the international winter sports calendar and therefore also for sponsors an attractive platform for brand communications. We are proud that for some years now Intersport is again a major player in our exclusive sponsorship hierarchy and that their commitment continues. With its versatile range of winter sports products, the company is positioned very authentically in this environment and benefits from high visibility due to rising TV coverage – especially in Central, Northern and Eastern Europe.”
Strong TV figures at the 2014/15 Vierschanzentournee
Last year's Vierschanzentournee was followed by a cumulative audience of 34.07 million live on German television (ARD/ZDF) and by a total of 5.57 million on the Austrian public broadcast channel ORF. The absolute highlight was the popular New Year's event in Garmisch-Partenkirchen where more than 6 million enjoyed the event live on TV in Germany. In addition, 110,000 visitors were on site over the four competitions.
The 2015/16 Vierschanzentournee will take place from 28 December 2015 through till 6 January 2016 and includes the four events in Oberstdorf, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Innsbruck and Bischofshofen.
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 over 650 experienced staff working from 25 offices across 13 countries, delivering 4,000 event days of top class sport around the world every year.
About INTERSPORT and The Athlete’s Foot
With retail sales of EUR 10.5 billion (2014) and more than 5,400 affiliated stores in 44 countries, INTERSPORT is the world's leading sporting goods retailer. In December 2012 INTERSPORT acquired the athletic speciality footwear chain, The Athlete's Foot, with around 400 stores in 25 countries and retail sales of EUR 290 million in 2014. The INTERSPORT Group is represented in 66 countries on all five continents.
