The Coca-Cola Russia division of the soft drinks producer has sealed a partnership deal with the Kontinental Hockey League European ice hockey competition.
The deal with the league, which operates predominantly in Russia, will run for at least three years, from 2016 to 2018. As part of the official partnership, Coca-Cola Russia has become the official beverage of the league, with Powerade serving as the tournament’s official sports drink.
The company’s logo will be displayed on the walls of all KHL arenas and will also feature in post-match press conferences, the official websites of the league and its member clubs, and in all of the league’s printed and electronic media. Coca-Cola commercials will be shown in the competition venues on match days and during broadcasts on the KHL TV and Match TV pay-television channels.
“We are very proud that we are now a long-term partner of the Russian national football team, the ‘Leather Ball’ programme for young football players, and many other big sporting events, such as the Olympiad in Kazan and the winter Olympic Games in Sochi,” said Ljubo Grujic, general director of Coca-Cola in Russia and Belarus. The company is also working with Russia’s Ministry of Sport ahead of football’s 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia.
KHL president Dmitry Chernyshenko added: “When we look back at the huge success of Sochi 2014, we must acknowledge Coca-Cola’s contribution to ensuring it was the best winter Olympics of the modern era.”