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https://www.sportbusiness.com/2020/05/bundesliga-ghost-games-provide-backdrop-for-sponsorship-re-set/
Bundesliga ‘ghost games’ provide backdrop for sponsorship re-set
When the German Bundesliga presented behind-closed-doors action on Saturday, May 16, it ignited a wave of interest among football fans worldwide, and a reawakening of sponsorships that had gone largely unused since the league was suspended in mid-March.
For the Maltese betting firm Interwetten the resumption in play was doubly important in that it was an opportunity to re-engage with fans of the clubs it sponsors, but also to take bets on a market that is key to its revenue.
As Dominik Beier, speaker of the board of Interwetten told SportBusiness: “The resumption of match operations was an absolutely necessary and existential step for both us and the clubs, albeit under the well-known precautions and restrictions.
“At the end of the day, it is the basis of our business. And we’d rather play in an empty stadium than not play at all. ”
While much of the world’s focus was on the ‘Revierderby’ between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke, Interwetten had stakes in less well-publicised re-opening matches in the form of Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin, and Augsburg v VfL Wolfsburg.
