Betsson’s NordicBet brand has agreed a multi-year deal to serve as the official sports betting partner of the Champions Hockey League, the new European ice hockey tournament which launches next month.
The tournament has been launched by 26 clubs, six leagues across Europe and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), with the regulation round taking place between August 21st and October 7th and the play-offs beginning on November 4th.
A tournament of the same name was launched by the IIHF in 2008 but lasted only one year due to a lack of sponsors and the failure to agree on a format. This year’s event sees 44 clubs from twelve European countries participating, with the final taking place on February 4th, 2015.
As official partner, NordicBet will present the statistics section of the CHL official website, while also benefiting from branding on perimeter boards across all 161 games in TV visible and non-TV visible areas, as well as all communication and promotional materials. Other sponsors include Engelbert-Strauss, AJ Products, Cramo, and InterSport.
NordicBet marketing manager Mikael Nilsson commented: “The newly created Champions Hockey League is an ideal platform to promote our extensive online betting and gaming portfolio by reaching out to the enthusiastic ice hockey audience in our target markets across Europe and even beyond.”
The deal was secured through Infront Sports & Media, the exclusive media and marketing partner of the CHL, and runs until the end of the 2016/17 season.
“With NordicBet, the Champions Hockey League gains another partner with a strong affiliation and authentic connection to the sport of ice hockey,” said Martin Baumann, CEO of Champions Hockey League. “The CHL games will be a significant component of NordicBet’s gaming offer – whilst vice versa, the brand will build an integral element of the next three seasons.”
NordicBet also recently signed a partnership with Finnish ice hockey team Jokerit for the 2014/15 season. The club is the first from a Nordic country to join the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), an international ice hockey league comprising of 30 members which is considered to be the premier league in Europe and Asia, and the second best in the world behind the NHL.