Rowe takes sleeve sponsorship with relegated Darmstadt

Oil and lubricants manufacturer Rowe has signed a partnership with Darmstadt 98 to become the shirt-sleeve sponsor of the recently relegated German Bundesliga football club.

Under the agreement, Rowe’s branding will feature on the left sleeve of Darmstadt’s jerseys for three seasons, from 2017-18 to 2019-20.

Rowe will also benefit from TV-visible advertising exposure during Darmstadt home games as part of the agreement.

The deal comes with Darmstadt sitting bottom of the Bundesliga with 24 points from 33 games. The club finishes the 2016-17 season with a trip to Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday.

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

Logistics service provider Hermes currently holds rights to the area under a four-and-a-half year contract that expires at the end of this season, with its branding appearing on the sleeves of all players in the top-tier Bundesliga and second-tier 2.Bundesliga.

TSG Hoffenheim last month became the first Bundesliga club to sign a shirt-sleeve sponsor after expanding its partnership with direct selling group proWin. Under the two-year deal, which covers the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, proWin will have its branding appear on the left sleeve of the team’s jerseys.