Iconic German Soccer Club “Fc Schalke 04” Chooses Leverage Agency For A Three-Year Partnership To Build Presence In U.S.
NEW YORK CITY (PRWEB) September 30, 2016 -- FC Schalke 04, one of the most acclaimed teams in the top division Bundesliga German soccer league, announced its historic foray into America with a three-year partnership with New York City-based sports and entertainment marketing firm Leverage Agency. Leverage will manage the US strategy, marketing, licensing, public relations, grassroots initiatives and sponsorship procurement for the 112-year old institution. This is the first time FC Schalke has retained a US-based agency in this capacity.
"We’re excited about taking this major step with Leverage to bring the power and tradition of FC Schalke to America,” said Alexander Jobst, Member of the Managing Board for FC Schalke 04. "The Leverage team has a deep understanding and appreciation of what FC Schalke stands for and what we bring to the table. We look forward to a long term and successful partnership."
“Leverage is thrilled to partner with FC Schalke, one of the most recognizable and respected organizations in international soccer,” said Ben Sturner, CEO and Founder of Leverage Agency. “We’re confident our team of experts, which includes Christian Voigt, former Global Head of Marketing for Puma, can help FC Schalke make a meaningful impact across marketing, sponsorship, licensing and youth soccer activation in the US.”
FC Schalke is one of the most popular teams in Europe with a passionate fan base that spans the world. Based in the Ruhr area, about 25 miles from Dusseldorf, the club’s nickname “Die Knappen” stems from the old German word for “miners” because in the early days many players were from the coalmines of Gelsenkirchen. Now the club has more than 145,000 members, making it the fourth largest sports club in the world in terms of membership. FC Schalke also regularly plays in top international soccer competition including the UEFA Champions League and Europa League.
FC Schalke 04
FC Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04 belongs to the most successful football clubs in Germany, with a total of seven German championship wins, five successes in the German National Cup as well as a UEFA-Cup victory in 1997. Substantial business areas of the so called “royal blues” are the licensed football, the youth academy and the commercialization of the “VELTINS-Arena”. In the fiscal year 2015, the club employed more than 1,400 people and reached a total revenue of 264.5 million Euro. FC Schalke 04 stands for the values that are tradition, success and passion and is Germany's second largest sports club with a total of 145,000 members, making it the fourth largest club in the world.
Leverage Agency
Headquartered in NYC, Leverage Agency is a full service sports, entertainment and media marketing company. Our accomplished staff brings deep expertise in creating 360° marketing partnerships through branded packaging, sponsorship sales, public relations, experiential marketing, and asset valuation/ROI analytics. For more information, please visit: http://www.leverageagency.com
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Contact:
Mandy O’Donnell
mandyo(at)leverageagency(dot)com
Mandy O'Donnell, Leverage Agency, http://www.leverageagency.com/, +1 (212) 752-2500, [email protected]
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