DSF Signs Deal with Infront to Broadcast IIHF World Championship
Zug, Switzerland, 29 July, 2003: The Infront Sports & Media Group has reached agreement with the German free-to-air broadcaster DSF for the broadcast rights to the annual IIHF World Championship in 2004 (to be staged in the Czech Republic) and 2005 (in Austria).
DSF has exclusive rights to all 54 games and will show at least all live games of the German national team, plus one qualifying game, both semi-finals and the final within the German territory.
The IIHF World Championship is the biggest single winter sports event in the world. With 54 fast-paced matches between the 16 best ice hockey teams in the world, it is becoming popular television viewing, especially in ice hockey playing nations such as Germany. The recent IIHF World Championship in Finland in 2003 – which had 100 players from the NHL taking part – sparked intense interest. 450,000 fans attended the 16 days of play. More than 140 television channels took coverage of the event.
Infront, the International Ice Hockey Federation’s exclusive marketing partner, has built up television coverage of the event to 35 countries and a global television audience in excess of 700 million. In the last five years, television coverage of the event has more than doubled.
Oscar Frei, CEO of Infront Sports & Media, said: 'We very much welcome the deal with DSF, which will ensure superb coverage of the IIHF World Championships on free-to-air television in Europe’s biggest market. This will further build the audience for the sport and will also be good news for sponsors who value the German market'.
The announcement follows Infront’s recent agreement with DSF for coverage of the German Football League ('Bundesliga'), as DSF continues to build its portfolio of quality sports events.
For further information, please contact:
Infront Sports & Media AG
John Kristick
Tel. +41-41-723 15 15
info@infrontsports.com
www.infrontsports.com
DSF has exclusive rights to all 54 games and will show at least all live games of the German national team, plus one qualifying game, both semi-finals and the final within the German territory.
The IIHF World Championship is the biggest single winter sports event in the world. With 54 fast-paced matches between the 16 best ice hockey teams in the world, it is becoming popular television viewing, especially in ice hockey playing nations such as Germany. The recent IIHF World Championship in Finland in 2003 – which had 100 players from the NHL taking part – sparked intense interest. 450,000 fans attended the 16 days of play. More than 140 television channels took coverage of the event.
Infront, the International Ice Hockey Federation’s exclusive marketing partner, has built up television coverage of the event to 35 countries and a global television audience in excess of 700 million. In the last five years, television coverage of the event has more than doubled.
Oscar Frei, CEO of Infront Sports & Media, said: 'We very much welcome the deal with DSF, which will ensure superb coverage of the IIHF World Championships on free-to-air television in Europe’s biggest market. This will further build the audience for the sport and will also be good news for sponsors who value the German market'.
The announcement follows Infront’s recent agreement with DSF for coverage of the German Football League ('Bundesliga'), as DSF continues to build its portfolio of quality sports events.
For further information, please contact:
Infront Sports & Media AG
John Kristick
Tel. +41-41-723 15 15
info@infrontsports.com
www.infrontsports.com