Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League has agreed its first sponsorship deal with a multi-national firm after signing a partnership with PepsiCo.
The initial one-season contract between the food and beverage giant and the ice hockey competition enables PepsiCo to implement marketing and promotion campaigns in the soft drinks, energy drinks and snacks categories.
The partnership extends to three brands in the PepsiCo portfolio: Pepsi, Adrenaline Rush and Lay’s.
Ilya Kochevrin, KHL commerce and communications vice-president, said: “The most important factor for us is that the market recognises the KHL brand as a beneficial and attractive one for a partnership. Cooperation with PepsiCo, one of the biggest companies in the world, is an opportunity for us to show that the KHL attracts world-famous brands.
"This will be the first time we have worked with a company whose products are consumed on a worldwide scale. This is a breakthrough for us, both as a league and as a brand.”
The KHL is composed of 21 teams in Russia, but also includes member clubs in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Croatia.