The NHL and NHLPA have retained Lagardère Sports & Entertainment to take a leading role in European sponsorship sales ventures for this year's World Cup of Hockey in Toronto (Lagardère). SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Ian Thomas reports Lagardère will be able to "sell the new digital dasherboard advertisements planned for the European broadcast of the tournament." The agency also "gains the right to sell on-ice and other in-arena spaces for the four scheduled exhibitions before the tournament’s official start." The WCOH will be played Sept. 17-Oct. 1 at Air Canada Centre. NHL Exec VP/Global Partnerships Keith Wachtel said, "Working with Lagardère will help open the door for us to so many marketers in Europe. Our end game is not just the World Cup, but the opening of our business to include games, exhibitions, activations and bringing players, alumni and teams over for other events as well.” Wachtel declined to comment on financial terms. NHL VP/Int'l Sales & Strategy Lynn White said that Lagardère "will have the ability to do both pan-European deals and more-targeted, territorial deals." Thomas notes White, along with NHLPA Chief of Business Affairs Mike Oullett and Chief of Global Business Strategies Sandra Monteiro "will work with Lagardère on the European sales efforts." Wachtel said that the league and NHLPA "talked to a number of agencies seeking the business." The deal "came together over the past six months, with negotiations taking place between" Wachtel and Lagardère Sports Americas CEO Andy Pierce, as well as former NHL COO John Collins. Wachtel said that the NHL and NHLPA "have already locked in partners in certain categories that provide them with global rights" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 2/22 issue).
