Soccer plays an outstanding role in Deutsche Telekom's sponsorship portfolio. Partnerships with FC Bayern Munich, record-holder for German championships, and the DFB (German Football Association) are the focus.
FC Bayern Munich
Telekom has been involved in soccer for many years. In addition to its main sponsorship of FC Bayern Munich, the Group is an "Official Partner of the DFB and its senior national team" and a premium partner of the traditional club Borussia Mönchengladbach. In addition to the exclusive partnership with Hamburger Sportverein since the 20/21 season, 1. FC Köln is also part of Deutsche Telekom's portfolio as of this season.
The soccer commitment is supplemented by extensive content partnerships bundled in the "MagentaSport" TV offering: All matches of the 3rd division as well as the FLYERALARM Women's Bundesliga. All games of the top German ice hockey league PENNY DEL including the playoffs - up to 419 games in total. Plus top games of the German national ice hockey team and all games of the Deutschland Cup. All games of the easyCredit Basketball Bundesliga, the MagentaSport BBL Cup and the Turkish Airlines Euroleague. Plus all games of the German national basketball team and events such as FIBA EuroBasket 2022.
"Sports sponsorship is an integral part of our marketing strategy," says Henning Stiegenroth, Head of Content & Sponsorship at Telekom Deutschland GmbH. "And soccer in particular plays a prominent role in our portfolio as a strategic communications tool."
Partner to soccer
The reasons are readily apparent: nearly seven million people in Germany play soccer in over 25,000 clubs; 80 percent of the population is interested in soccer – no other sport enjoys that kind of popularity. With FC Bayern Munich, the Group advertises on jerseys and the perimeter displays, as well as with many exciting fan campaigns. "The media presence and related effects alone are worth a multiple of what we put into the partnership," says Stiegenroth, emphasizing the importance of the collaboration.
Deutsche Telekom and soccer
Deutsche Telekom established the first 24-hour live TV channel by a German soccer team for the record champion, 7 days a week: FC Bayern.TV - Daily live reporting, unique formats, exclusive peeks behind the scenes. With this approach, exclusive club content is integrated in the Group's information and entertainment platforms.
What's more, Deutsche Telekom has organized its own soccer tournament regularly since 2009: the Telekom Cup. Four top-caliber Bundesliga teams, always including FC Bayern Munich, compete for the cup during the summer break, and sometimes in winter as well.
With its TV format "Hans Sarpei - the T stands for 'Coach'", Deutsche Telekom supports German amateur teams. Hans Sarpei a former professional soccer player, dedicates his coaching talents to helping improve a series of different teams.
Training the next generation
Deutsche Telekom is a "Premium Partner" to the DFB men's and junior national teams. The company also supports young soccer talents on a broad basis with its "Anstoß" (kick-off) initiative. For Stephan Althoff, Head of Corporate Sponsoring at Deutsche Telekom, there is huge potential in the youngsters: "We don't just want to support the top teams, but also – and especially – help develop young talents. There is a huge need here."
Successful liaison
Deutsche Telekom's "investment" in soccer is paying off, as market research figures show. It's a great opportunity to retain customers, raise awareness, increase sales targets, and demonstrate our societal commitment. Deutsche Telekom and soccer – a successful liaison.
