Swiss Fans will continue to benefit from comprehensive tournament coverage across the diverse SRG media platforms

Zug / Bern, Switzerland, 2 November 2011 - Infront Sports & Media, longtime marketing partner of the International Hockey Federation (IIHF) for the IIHF World Championship, has licensed the Swiss media rights for the IIHF World Championships from 2012 to 2017 to the Swiss  Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR. The financial compensation and contractual details were not disclosed.

The IIHF World Championship is the annual highlight in international ice hockey and one of the biggest winter sports events worldwide. The extended agreement between Infront and the SRG includes all IIHF World Championships until 2017, including the tournaments in Finland and Sweden (co-hosts for 2012 and 2013), Belarus (2014), Czech Republic (2015) and Russia (2016). SRG has been the national television partner of the IIHF World Championship for more than 20 years, starting with the 1989 tournament in Sweden. Since then, the corporation has transmitted every edition of the championship on its media channels, including this year's tournament in Slovakia.

Highest standards in production and editing
The contract with Infront includes the exclusive rights to broadcast all 64 games of the IIHF World Championship and allows the SRG to distribute the licensed content via free-TV, radio, internet and mobile networks in Switzerland. Infront, in close cooperation with the IIHF will continue to provide high-quality TV pictures and media services for the SRG coverage. Since 2009, the IIHF World Championship has been produced in full HD quality with 20 cameras per game guaranteeing in-depth sports coverage and dynamic reporting from every angle.

Urs Leutert, Head of Sport SRG / SRF, added: “As a longstanding partner of the IIHF World Championship, the SRG will offer ice hockey a media platform through to 2017, which accounts for the sport’s importance in Switzerland. Thanks to the high standards Infront attaches to the production of the TV signal, and the in-depth coverage of the SRG editors, Swiss viewers can look forward to first-class ice hockey pictures, great action and all the excitement of the sporting experience.”

Bruno Marty, Infront's Executive Director Winter Sports said: “Switzerland is a proven hockey nation, the agreement with SRG guarantees that the many Swiss fans will continue to receive comprehensive coverage of this top annual event over the next six years. We are delighted to have once again secured the national free-to-air broadcaster to work with us in Switzerland, the IIHF and Infront home-land. The SRG will provide a diverse range of coverage for the IIHF World Championship across a full range of media platforms.”

About the IIHF World Championship
The 2012 IIHF World Championship takes place from 4 to 20 May 2012 in Helsinki (Finland) and Stockholm (Sweden) and will attract hockey fans to television screens around the world. In 2011 the IIHF World Championship in Slovakia was broadcast by over 70 channels in more than 100 countries and territories worldwide. It achieved over 3,000 broadcast hours and a record cumulative audience of more than 800 million viewers.

Infront Sports & Media is the exclusive marketing partner of the IIHF for all commercial rights to the IIHF World Championship and the annual Division 1 tournaments (groups A and B). In addition, the company undertakes various services for the IIHF World Championship – including host broadcast production, design services, customer support and on-site VIP hospitality.

About Infront Sports & Media
Infront Sports & Media, based in Zug, Switzerland, has grown impressively in recent years to become one of the leading international sports marketing groups in the world. Known for its high standards of delivery, the company covers all aspects of a successful sport event – including distribution of media rights, sponsorship, media production and event operations. As a key player in winter sport, football and other summer sports, Infront enjoys long-lasting partnerships with 120 rights-holders and hundreds of sponsors and media companies. With an experienced and passionate team of 500 staff in over 20 offices across 10 countries, the Group helps to annually deliver more than 2,300 event days of top class sport around the world.


For further information, please contact:

Jörg Polzer / Nike Möhle
Corporate Communications
Infront Sports & Media AG
Tel. +41-41-723 15 15
Fax +41-41-723 15 16
press infrontsports.com
www.infrontsports.com

Peter Küchler
Media Relations
SRG SSR
Tel. +41-79-479 97 81