Bayern Munich outstrip Man Utd and LFC

Thursday, 19. November 2009 - IndianFootball.Com reporter

German giants FC Bayern Munich have secured a new shirt sponsorship agreement with Deutsche Telekom outstripping the deals English giants Manchester United and Liverpool signed earlier this year.

Europe's leading telecommunications company has extended its commitment as main and shirt sponsor of the German club by a further three years until 2013, the companies announced at an event on Tuesday at the Allianz Arena in Munich. The annual sponsorship fee is believed to be around €25 million (US$37.3 million), though Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness said that the deal was "strongly performance-related.

"I'm proud we've been able to secure the commitment of our valued partners at Deutsche Telekom for the next few years," commented Bayern general manager Uli Hoeneß. Telekom and Bayern first joined forces in 2002. "The point of view we share with our partner is that a sponsorship agreement like this must offer significant benefits to both parties. In this respect, our work together has been extremely successful," Hoeneß continued.

"The extension of our partnership serves clear strategic goals," said Christian P. Illek, T-Home board member and T-Mobile Deutschland managing director (marketing). The commitment to Bayern was "an important component in developing and implementing our future-oriented multimedia service provision for a digital and networked life."

Besides shirt exposure, Deutsche Telekom is set to benefit from future opportunities of brand awareness and customer retention.