German car manufacturer Opel has signed up as a significant new partner of top-level handball in the country.
Opel becomes the naming rights partner of German club handball's top-tier Bundesliga, as well as a strategic partner of both the men's and women's German national teams, through a tie-up with the German Handball Federation (DHB). Both agreements run for three years.
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The brand will additionally serve as a mobility partner across both tie-ups.
The deals were brokered by the Sportfive agency, and for the next three seasons, the top handball competition in Germany will be known as the Opel Handball-Bundesliga.
Sportfive has said the tie-up is a "holistic strategy combining comprehensive activation and financial support."
In addition to the major naming rights element, Opel markings and branding will be visible on the players' jerseys of both national teams through this agreement, as well as on the jerseys of every Handball Bundesliga player. There will also be a targeted focus in terms of Opel's activations, around engaging younger audiences.
Activations include "special media days, behind-the-scenes access, ticket giveaways, [and] additional prize draws."
In terms of Opel's previous association with German handball, during the 1980s and 1990s, the brand was a shirt sponsor of the national team.
The 2025-26 Handball Bundesliga runs until June 7. The league's current title partner is Daikin Germany, the regional subsidiary of the Japanese air conditioning giant – a two-season deal to that effect was struck in early 2024. Daikin replaced Liqui Moly as league title sponsor.
In early March, the Handball Bundesliga expanded its partnership with German sports streaming platform Dyn Media.
The present deal between the DHB and Sportfive, meanwhile, was signed off in November 2024 and runs until 2030.
