Zurich to sponsor IIHF World Championships

Swiss insurance company Zurich has agreed a deal to become an official sponsor of the Ice Hockey World Championships from 2018 to 2020.

Zurich agreed the deal with Infront Sports & Media, the exclusive marketing partner of the International Ice Hockey Federation, which organises the national team event.

Under the agreement, Zurich will benefit from TV-visible brand exposure during games, as well as integration across official print materials, the IIHF website and video spots on-site. Other benefits will include hospitality packages and further advertising and promotional rights.

The 2018 World Championships will be staged in Denmark, while the 2019 and 2020 events will be held in Slovakia and Switzerland, respectively.

Zurich will also continue to serve as an official presenting partner of the Swiss Ice Hockey Cup for a further four years until the end of the 2020-21 season.

The company will continue to receive brand exposure through board and under-ice advertising, as well as logo placement on helmets, jerseys, pads and goalkeeper gloves.

A ticketing package will also be offered to Zurich, while promotional and activation rights across print, online and TV media in Switzerland will be included in the deal.

Bruno Marty, executive director of winter sports at Infront, said: “Particularly with respect to the 2020 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship on home ground, the brand will build on its existing ice hockey strategy – enhancing its involvement by implementing new measures that strengthen the brand even further and at the same time support the tournament.”