European Ice Hockey appoints Infront as exclusive commercial partner of new club competition

By Gary Anderson

October 23 - Marketing company Infront Sports and Media has been appointed by the Board of the European Ice Hockey Club Competition (ECC) as exclusive commercial partner for its new Pan-European competition, due to be launched next year.

The tournament will feature 40 of the top clubs from across the continent taking part in an international, cross season league-style format which will determine the best club side in Europe.

The inaugural season, which is due to start in August 2014 and runs through until the following February, will see clubs from the national leagues of Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland take part, including the respective national champions and regular season winners.

The participation of clubs from the Russian based Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), generally recognised as the strongest professional league in the world behind the National Hockey League (NHL) in North America, has not been finalised and discussions are still on-going.

Players from German clubs Koeln and Hamburg could be battling it out in a pan-European club competition from August 2014

"The time is now right to establish a Pan-European league for top club ice hockey," said ECC chairman Anders Ternbom of the new league competition, which has yet to be given an official brand name.

"We all believe in the potential of this project and we are positive that with all stakeholders closely involved and having Infront as a proven marketing partner, we will put in place a successful, competitive and financially viable league."

The decision to establish a new competition, owned and operated by the ECC, which includes - as its shareholders - top European clubs, six national leagues and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), was reached at an ECC Board meeting in Berlin earlier this month.

"In many major European markets, club ice hockey is played on an impressive sportive level and is enjoyed by thousands of committed fans," said Kalervo Kummola, IIHF vice-President and representative of the international federation on the ECC Board.

"It is therefore the logical next step to take club ice hockey to another level and go international.

"We are convinced that the joint forces of clubs, leagues and federations backing the ECC will make this project a boost for the European winter sports landscape."

Reigning KHL champions Dinamo Moscow's participation in the new pan-European league is still the subject of on-going discussions

Swiss based firm Infront will be responsible for the worldwide distribution of media rights, the centralised marketing rights and merchandising rights of the competition, as well as the high-quality multimedia production of all 149 ECC games in high definition (HD) format.

In addition, Infront will provide support to the ECC rights holders in the overall development of the new competition, delivering services in the area of digital media, branding, promotion and rights delivery.

"Ice hockey is a core element of our company's DNA and the partnership with the ECC is a key priority for Infront," said Philippe Blatter, the company's President and chief executive.

"With Infront's expertise, experience and strength in innovation we will together, with all stakeholders of the ECC, leave no stones unturned to position this league as one of the strongest and most popular pan-European club competitions - a 'must have' for players, fans, and commercial partners."

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