German Carmaker Opel Extends Sponsorship Deals With Bundesliga Clubs Mainz, Freiburg

German carmaker Opel "has extended its sponsorship deals with two Bundesliga clubs," according to Frauke Schobelt of W&V. The General Motors subsidiary extended its deals with FSV Mainz and SC Freiburg for another two years starting with the '15-16 season. In addition to those two deals, Opel has been an official sponsor of Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen since Aug. '12. The contracts with Dortmund and Leverkusen were long-term agreements. Opel Sales Dir Peter Christian Küspert: "The football involvement has a positive impact on our brand image." After a sponsorship hiatus, Opel decided to return to its football sponsorship roots in '12. A '14 study by Repucom said that two-and-a-half years after its comeback, Opel is back in the top 10 of German football sponsors. In addition to its Bundesliga deals, Opel/Vauxhall "is an official partner of a further seven European football teams" (W&V, 2/19).