OREANDA-NEWS.  September 03, 2014. DHL is now an official platinum partner and the new international logistics and eCommerce full-service partner of FC Bayern Munich. The six-year agreement running until 2020 was announced today at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

As logistics partner, DHL has been ensuring for years that FC Bayern Munich merchandise is reliably passed on to fans. The football club now also intends to profit from the international eCommerce expertise of the logistics industry's leading company.

"FC Bayern Munich is now a global player whose fan base is constantly expanding in a large number of countries and on all continents," said Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Chairman of FC Bayern Munich's Executive Board. "We just completed our summer tour in the United States. This trip showed us once again just how much potential we have in international markets. With DHL acting as our experienced, globally respected partner, we intend to further expand our online touchpoints with our fans around the world and thus our international merchandising."

More and more people now shop online, and there is hardly any other sport that moves fans around the world as football does. Just like international trade, the fan bases of the champion teams are becoming increasingly tight-knit throughout the world. In addition to Germany and the United States, China and other Asian countries are rapidly expanding growth markets for football. To reach these fans around the world, teams need logistics: The industry creates a game-changing competitive edge for leading clubs like FC Bayern Munich – particularly in the increasingly critical area of merchandise shipping. Such benefits include deliveries made within hours on the day an order was placed, flexible delivery and return time frames as well as strong logistics and added-value concepts.

"We are really looking forward to our strategic alliance with such a highly respected partner as FC Bayern Munich," said Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL. "Our services will create a strong base that will enable the team to build on its business success both nationally and internationally. Two strong, internationally respected brands like FC Bayern Munich and DHL will also profit from each other in the sponsoring partnership they have set up."

As part of this arrangement, DHL has obtained broad advertising rights to go along with its exclusive collaboration in the areas of logistics, full-service eCommerce solutions and traditional mail operations. These rights include the filming of advertising spots, PR events and the use of a shared partner logo. For years now, sponsoring of sporting events has played a key role in the brand communications conducted by the two core brands of Deutsche Post DHL. From football to Formula 1™ and rugby – DHL reliably transports equipment and uses the customer-centric platforms of sports to foster its brand presence. For years now, the Group's Deutsche Post brand has been an important partner of the German Football Association (DFB) and an official sponsor of the association’s national Cup competition and the German men’s football team.

In the first phase of the new partnership, fans and visitors to the Allianz Arena in Munich can use the DHL store to ship merchandise from the FC Bayern Megastore directly to their homes.