KNSB skates on with main sponsor

Telecommunications company KPN has agreed a two-year extension to its partnership with the Royal Dutch Skating Association (KNSB).

Under the agreement, KPN will continue to serve as the main sponsor of the body until June 2018. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, although the KNSB confirmed KPN’s annual contribution to the body would remain the same.

KPN, a Dutch company, will retain its sponsorship rights to the Dutch long and short track skating teams, and will also continue to serve as the title sponsor of the marathon and natural ice disciplines.

The company will continue to back the KPN Junior Skating youth initiative and support the schaatsen.nl skating website. In addition, KPN will produce skating content for clients.

“The extension of this partnership is not based on the traditional model of sponsorship but on strategic cooperation,” KNSB commercial director Olivier Smit said. “The key is that we offer other value-added links … to achieve this. This is in line with the new commercial vision of the KNSB.”

KPN has served as the KNSB’s main sponsor since 2010.