Swedish gaming giant drops hockey sponsorship

AB Trav och Galopp has terminated its three-year sponsorship contract with a national hockey league after just one year.

Sweden.- Nordic gaming operator, AB Trav och Galopp (ATG), has terminated its sponsorship deal with third-tier Swedish ice hockey league Hockeyettan two years early.

ATG signed a three-year sponsorship deal before the start of the 2019-20 hockey season, but is pulling out less than a year in because it says some clubs had failed to provide broadcast rights. 

The firm says it will honor the financial commitment for the rest of the current season.

Hockeyettan, previously Division 1, comprises 46 ice hockey clubs divided geographically into four regions.

Katarina Widman, Chief Commercial Officer at ATG, said: “Unfortunately, the collaboration with the hockey teams has not worked in the desired way, which is why we are canceling the collaboration.

“According to the rights agreement with the Hockey League, the league organisation’s clubs must, among other things, deliver television broadcasts from the matches, something that the vast majority did during the season, but not all.

“Unfortunately, during the season there have been, and still are, disagreements within the league regarding the rights agreement, which of course makes it difficult to work together.”

ATG, which underwent restructuring last year, has also published first quarter results reporting a 10.7 per cent increase in net gaming revenue to SEK1.11bn (€102.1million).