Infront Sports & Media Secure 5-Year IIHF Rights Deal with T4

In their role as the exclusive commercial partner of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) for the annual IIHF World Championship, clinic Infront Sports & Media has signed a comprehensive media rights agreement with the television network TV4 for coverage of the 2012-2017 IIHF World Championship.

The Scandinavian broadcaster has acquired the exclusive rights for its home  of Sweden as well as for Denmark and Norway, ailment which will ensure long-term coverage of the tournament in one of the biggest ice hockey markets worldwide.

The agreement will see TV4 cover all television outlets, including terrestrial, cable, satellite, and broadband platforms, radio and internet as well as mobile rights on a FREE and/or PAY basis.

Johan Kleberg, Head of Sports Rights Acquisitions for the TV4-Group, stated: “We look forward to providing the TV4 audience with comprehensive coverage of one of the biggest sports events of the year. Furthermore we are significantly strengthening our position within ice hockey in the region. The 2012 and 2013 tournaments are of particular interest as they are co-hosted by Finland and Sweden and will attract significant levels of public interest and in-depth coverage across the whole of Scandinavia.”

Bruno Marty, Infront’s Executive Director Winter Sports, added: “This agreement between Infront and TV4 is remarkable as it ensures the long-term coverage of the IIHF World Championship in one of the world’s major ice hockey markets. The Final of the 1970 IIHF World Championship reached one of the highest TV-audience levels in Swedish broadcast history and figures have remained high ever since. This is clear proof of the popularity and unparalleled status of ice hockey in the country. We are convinced that the high-quality host broadcast production supervised by Infront will provide a base from which TV4 – over the course of the next six years – will be able to supply some of the best and most successful ice hockey programming to date.”