BEIJING, Feb. 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Infront, a Wanda Sports Group company (Nasdaq: WSG) and the exclusive media and marketing partner of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), broke records at the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, reaching a cumulative audience of over 1.6 billion, according to data provided by X Media Sports Consulting GmbH. It marked the fourth year in a row the tournament has surpassed one billion viewers.
Infront secured broadcast agreements for over 155 territories and provided over 200 hours of footage of the tournament, which took place in Slovakia from 10 to 26 May 2019.Reaching fans through broadcast and digitalAn on-site production team of more than 130 members delivered the best moments of the tournament through a 30-camera setup, bringing fans to the heart of the action. Broadcast technology for the final weekend included two 4G cameras as well as ultra-slow motion, ref and cable cameras. In addition, a dedicated broadcaster servicing team was on-site at both venues to coordinate both broadcast and production activities.The production was further supported by digital initiatives, including behind the scene videos and a new daily podcast, The Totally Ice Hockey Show, which attracted over 120,000 listeners, giving them an even more in-depth analysis and overview from the rink.More than 2,500 video clips were published on the IIHF’s social media channels, as well, attracting over 88 million views — an increase of 118 per cent compared to previous tournaments.In addition, through a partnership with YouTube, fans watching online were able to easily find the best IIHF content and moments with the launch of a newly formed content creator network, which utilized a range of social media influencers who delivered daily content for IIHF platforms.Creating the best platform for sponsorship activationThe tournament offered all 13 official sponsors an ideal platform to fully engage with ice hockey fans.For example, ŠKODA –the Guinness World Record holder for longest sponsorship of a world championship through their continued agreement with the IIHF – used this opportunity to announce its KAMIQ small-size SUV vehicle.Sponsors further benefitted from a unique event space, planned and coordinated by Infront. Infront leveraged its presence to create engagement for sponsors at venue sites, which were attended by more than 470,000 fans during the tournament. More than 5,000 VIP guest were able to enjoy the exclusive space, which included gourmet food and guest services throughout the tournament.Infront Senior Vice President of ProSports Bruno Marty said: “Our aim for the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship is the same every year – to build on and improve what we have provided previously and set a new standard. For the 2019 edition, we were able to add another layer to the full-service for the IIHF, our long-term partner. I look forward to another successful tournament in 2020 in Switzerland.”President and CEO of Wanda Sports Group Hengming Yang said: “We are excited to see Infront’s dedicated efforts to leverage its technology and experience to drive additional value for our clients. This new benchmark in fan engagement and sponsor exposure is the result of WSG’s strong partnership with IIHF and further underscores the growth opportunities available to us in the spectator sports business.”The 2020 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship will take place in Zurich and Lausanne, Switzerland from 8-24 May.About Wanda Sports GroupHeadquartered in Beijing, China, Wanda Sports Group has more than 60 offices and 1,600 employees around the world.About InfrontConnecting fans and consumers to the greatest sports events, Infront, a Wanda Sports Group company, offers everything an event or commercial partner needs to be successful. With a team of over 1,000 experts working from 45 offices across more than 16 countries around the world, Infront is equipped to tackle any challenge – be it innovative digital solutions, world-class event operations, international media rights distribution, sponsorship sales and activations or cutting-edge media production. Headquartered in Switzerland, Infront is passionate and #AllAboutSports. @infrontsports www.infront.sport. Safe Harbor StatementThis announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include but are not limited to Wanda Sports management quotes and the Group’s financial outlook. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “estimate,” “project,” “predict,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “potential,” “plan,” “goal” and similar statements. Wanda Sports may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about: the Group’s goals and strategies; growth of the Chinese e-commerce market; Chinese governmental policies relating to the Group’s industry and general economic conditions in China; and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing as well as risks, uncertainties, and other factors described in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in the Company’s registration statement on Form F-1, which is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.Additional information will be made available in the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F for the year ending December 31, 2019 and other filings that the Company makes from time to time with the SEC. In addition, any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on assumptions that the Company believes to be reasonable as of this date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.For more information, please contact:Wanda Sports GroupEdith KwanTel: +86 (10) 8558 7456E-mail: ir@wsg.cn
Bay Street News