PKO Bank Polski and LOTTO will continue their sponsorship of Ekstraklasa for the next two seasons

– We are very pleased that both our main partners have decided to stay with us for the next two years. We got through the most difficult period in the history of the league together, with many restrictions and several months of playing in front of empty stands. This time has shown that, despite the difficulties, we are able to adjust our services and introduce new ideas so that our cooperation is to the fullest extent effective for our partners. A tangible confirmation of this is the PLN 321 million advertising equivalent which our games generated in the year of the pandemic for PKO Bank Polski – says Marcin Animucki, President of the Management Board of Ekstraklasa S.A.

– We see the extension of the contracts as a very positive rating given by our partners and their belief in the possibility of being provided with even better promotion. We are already planning many new projects together, which will display both PKO Bank Polski and the LOTTO brand. The new contracts will ensure higher revenues for all clubs, and teams that are successful in European competitions can count on additional funds from our title sponsor after reaching the group or knockout stages – adds Marcin Animucki.

The new season of PKO Bank Polski Ekstraklasa will start on July 23. 18 teams will play 306 matches. Nine games will be held on each of the 34 matchdays. The current epidemic situation in the country allows us to assume that in the new season starting in the summer, matches will be played in the presence of fans in the stands.

The new sponsorship agreements will strengthen the cooperation of Ekstraklasa with its long-term partners. The contract with PKO Bank Polski will involve further work on strengthening its brand recognition through promotion at all Ekstraklasa stadiums and during match broadcasts. The bank will also continue to develop the "PKO Bank Polski Grajmy Razem" [“PKO Bank Polski Let’s Play Together”] channels on social media, promote young players by awarding prizes for the best, continue the "Kanapa Kibica" [“The Fan’s Couch”] project, and organize a number of other marketing campaigns providing new contexts for promotion.

– We announced that PKO Bank Polski’s investment in Ekstraklasa is a long-term project and we have kept our word. We can see in which direction our football is developing, so we cannot remain indifferent to the organizational and sports challenges we face. We have many new ideas which we want to implement together with our partners. We will be even more involved in the promotion of youth football, and we will take care of training managerial staff to reduce the distance to richer Western countries in this regard. Our goal is to strengthen the relationship between the fans and their teams and the entire league – says Zbigniew Jagiełło, President of the Management Board of PKO Bank Polski.

– We are the largest bank in Poland, and recent years have proved that it was the right decision to sponsor our domestic football. The COVID-19 pandemic was the most difficult challenge we have experienced, but together with our partners, Ekstraklasa S.A. and government institutions, we developed mechanisms which saved the clubs from financial problems. We hope that the announcement of the decision to extend the agreement between PKO Bank Polski and Ekstraklasa for the next two years, along with the systematic re-opening of the economy, will result in a feeling of optimism and a gradual return – also at the stadiums – to the pre-pandemic reality – adds Zbigniew Jagiełło.

The new contract with Totalizator Sportowy and the LOTTO brand as the main partner of Ekstraklasa also will involve a wider spectrum of cooperation. The brand will be more widely present in the league's communication, and joint projects are to ensure reaching players both through traditional match channels and electronic channels. The LOTTO brand will be promoted in the official Ekstraklasa app and in the next season of the Ekstraklasa Fantasy League. In the 2021/2022 season, as part of our cooperation with LOTTO, a new category of the ‘footballer of the month’ will also appear – Number of the Month. Based on the resulting ranking, the Number of the Season will be announced at the end of the season.

- The history of supporting football by Totalizator Sportowy goes back to the beginnings of our company, and this year we are celebrating our 65th anniversary of cooperation. Moreover, we have been an official partner of Ekstraklasa S.A. since the 2014/2015 season. As the main partner of Ekstraklasa in the upcoming season, we want to be even closer to the Polish league and the fans. We all feel hungry for sports excitement and I am convinced that Ekstraklasa matches will provide the fans with many memorable moments – emphasized Olgierd Cieślik, President of the Management Board of Totalizator Sportowy.