RUSSIA’S SECOND largest mobile phone operator MegaFon has signed on as an official sponsor of the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.
The two-year deal will see MegaFon partner with the 2012 edition of the Championship, which starts today in Helsinki and Stockholm, as well as the 2013 competition.
The agreement marks the end of a successful marketing and sales period for the tournament, resulting in a line up of 13 international brands including the likes of Skoda, Nike and Tissot.
MegaFon will receive an extensive rights package including exclusivity in the product category, a significant presence at all 64 matches, brand exposure on digital and literature platforms and official sponsorship of Team Russia during the championship, giving MegaFon greater exposure at relevant games for its home market.
Frontloaded estimates MegaFon will be paying around €1m per year for sponsorship rights.
Partnering with the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship will see the brand expand its partnership portfolio outside of Russia despite usually concentrating it sponsorship efforts on national properties.
MegaFon’s Russian sponsorships include the Russian Football Union, the Russian Football Premier League and the Russian (Ice) Hockey Federation, as well as its most high-profile sponsorship agreement as a General Partner of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
The deal was brokered by Infront Sports & Media as the exclusive media and marketing partner to the International Ice Hockey Federation, with MegaFon’s marketing director, Igor Pepelyaev, leading negotiations on the brand side.
By Luke Harman
Follow Luke on Twitter: @lukeharmanSBG