Spanish telco Telefónica has stepped up its association with Atlético de Madrid by agreeing a four-season extension to its partnership with the LaLiga football club.
The two parties first joined forces for the opening of Atlético’s Wanda Metropolitano stadium in 2017, and the new deal will continue to have a focus on fan experience at the venue.
Under the new contract, which runs through to the end of the 2023-24 season, Telefónica will serve as the Official Technology Provider for the club and the Wanda Metropolitano.
Telefónica’s association with Atlético differs from its partnerships with other LaLiga clubs as it includes a service provision.
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When the Wanda Metropolitano opened, it became the first 100% IP stadium in Europe, with 6,700 network connections, 165 switches, 75 network nodes, 900 televisions operated remotely around the stadium, and a 360° ribbon board system. Atlético has touted the Wanda Metropolitano as the first smart stadium in Europe due to its communications and security network.
Telefónica España president Emilio Gayo said: “We’re going to sponsor the men’s and women’s teams, and both parties will be strategic partners. The first thing we did together was to equip the stadium with state-of-the-art technological infrastructure such as the ‘ribbon board 360.’ The sporting facilities have been praised by the users and other clubs. These good results have encouraged us to take another step in our partnership.”
Atlético de Madrid chief executive, Miguel Ángel Gil, added: “Their experience in all kinds of markets will help us to reinvent ourselves to benefit our fans. The line-up show is spectacular, but the most important things for us are connectivity, safety and services. Technology allows us to evolve and optimise the services we can offer.”