The German Football Association (DFB) has inked a sponsorship extension with the German telecommunications company, Deutsche Telekom.
The brand will continue to be associated with the German national team until the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Deutsche Telekom will gain visibility throughout the competition, which will take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as with the German women’s and Under-21 national teams.
Dr. Holger Blask, Chairman of the Management Board of DFB GmbH & Co. KG., said, “We are very pleased to further develop the long-standing partnership with Deutsche Telekom once again. It is a special concern for Telekom and DFB that women’s football will also be part of the partnership. In addition, Telekom supports the digitisation of amateur football by providing a variety of automated cameras. This also gives football more visibility at the base.”
A significant emphasis of the cooperation extension is the development of amateur football in Germany, with both sides agreeing to start an initiative that would allow clubs to webcast games and training sessions.
The DFB will provide interested German teams with SPORTTOTAL cameras to help transmit their games live via the internet, which will be powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and 4G/5G.
The 16-centimeter-tall camera is mounted on a pole, at the stadium top, or in the sports hall near the centre line. Fans who are unable to attend in person will be able to watch amateur games by accessing the streaming data at any time after the game has ended.
Furthermore, chosen training units can be examined, and performance data can be assessed. More than 100 winners will be able to utilise the system free of charge for two years.
Michael Hagspihl, SVP of Global Strategic Projects and Marketing Partnerships at Deutsche Telekom, said, “Telekom and the DFB have stood for trusting and successful cooperation for years. Especially with the EURO in our own country, we have seen what positive radiation effects this partnership can have. That is why we are particularly pleased that we will also accompany our women’s national team and our youth team on the way to the upcoming major tournaments and that we will continue our joint success story with the DFB.”