Bundesliga clubs attract sleeve sponsors

German Bundesliga football clubs Augsburg, Bayer Leverkusen, Hamburg and VfL Wolfsburg have signed sleeve sponsorship deals with Baramundi Software, property management company Westminster-Gruppe, the Popp Feinkost delicatessen, and logistics company UPS, respectively.

Leverkusen’s partnership with Westminster will initially cover the 2017-18 campaign and has been signed ahead of the club’s opening match of the season at Bayern Munich later today (Friday).

Westminster will also become a premium partner of the club. The company currently serves as the main sponsor of the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB).

Augsburg's deal will also cover the 2017-18 season.

Meanwhile, Popp Feinkost has signed a two-year deal with Hamburg covering the 2017-18 and 2018-19 Bundesliga seasons.

The company will also serve as the club’s delicatessen partner as part of the agreement.

In addition, Popp Feinkost will benefit from in-stadium brand exposure and promotion at official club events.

UPS is an existing sponsor of Wolfsburg and has signed a one-year extension with the club to take on sleeve sponsorship during the 2017-18 season.

The German Football League (DFL) announced in December 2015 that clubs would be free to pursue sleeve sponsors for the 2017-18 season after electing to end its central marketing approach for branding on that area of teams’ shirts.

Logistics service provider Hermes held rights to the area under a four-and-a-half-year contract that expired at the end of the 2016-17 season, with its branding having appeared on the sleeves of all players in the top-tier Bundesliga and second-tier 2.Bundesliga.