German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich’s victory over La Liga club Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League semifinal "will be a big boost for the German soccer club’s sponsors," according to Mike Ozanian of FORBES. Because the final will be played at Allianz Arena in Munich, Bayern Munich will be the first club since '84 "to play in a Champions League final that it is hosting, giving its partners an unusual amount of worldwide exposure." Sponsors "already love Bayern, which is why the club took in" $258M in commercial revenue last season, generated from $119M of sponsorship and advertising, $64M of merchandising and $75M "from other commercial activities at and away from Allianz Arena." adidas, which has a "minority stake in the soccer club as well as a" $32M a year kit deal with Bayern, will "perhaps be the biggest winner." Deutsche Telekom, whose shirt deal with Bayern in '09 was "questioned by some because it paid a record amount to a club with a relatively small fan base outside of Germany, will get the last laugh." Another "benefactor should be Audi, whose initial deal with Bayern gave the car market" a 9.5% stake in the club, with an extension last year giving the carmaker a stake in "Bayern’s basketball team and arena." Samsung and Lufthansa should also "score with the Champions League final" (FORBES.com, 4/26).
