Efes Pilsener and Euroleague: Three more years

Efes Pilsener and Euroleague Basketball have renewed their sponsorship agreement for three more years. Following last season's collaboration, both parties have agreed to continue their relationship such that Efes Pilsener becomes a Euroleague Basketball main sponsor until 2012. The contract between the two parties has been signed today by Mr. Alejandro Jimenez, CEO of Efes Beer Group, and Mr. Jordi Bertomeu, CEO of Euroleague Basketball, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Istanbul. At the signing ceremony Mr. Jimenez said: "We are pleased to continue to be an Official Global Sponsor of Euroleague, Europe's top basketball organization, for three years. At Efes, we have always been a big supporter of sports, and especially 'devoted' to basketball since 1976, the foundation year of Efes Pilsen basketball club. Basketball has always taken a special place in Efes Pilsener's culture, and in that sense, this partnership with Euroleague Basketball contributes to that platform."

"We are really satisfied with this renewed agreement as it demonstrates that the partnership between Efes Pilsener and Euroleague is a solid and positive one," Mr. Bertomeu stated. "We hope to deepen in our relationship with Efes Pilsen and offer the added value that they are looking for in us."

About Efes Pilsener:

Efes Beer Group operates with 15 breweries, 6 malteries and 1 hop processing facility in 5 countries, making it one of the leading brewers in the region. Efes conducts its beer operations in a geography consisting of Turkey, Russia, Kazakhstan, Moldova and Georgia with a total annual brewing capacity of 35 million hectoliters and a malt production capacity of 254,000 tonnes. In addition, Efes Beer Group has a 28% interest in an operating entity conducting beer operations in Serbia. In line with the Group's policy to create a good quality and efficient brand portfolio, Efes Beer Group's beer portfolio consists of over 30 brands and 180 SKUs, positioned to cover the fastest growing, most profitable and largest segments in each of its operating markets.

Efes Beer Group's flagship brand Efes Pilsener is brewed in Russia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Serbia and Turkey. Efes Pilsener is enjoyed in more than 50 countries around the world. Efes Beer Group, which the Efes Pilsener brand belongs to, is the fifth biggest brewer in Europe and 15th biggest brewer in the world. Efes also sponsors sports, music and art.

About Euroleague Basketball:

Europe's premier basketball competition, Euroleague Basketball, was founded in 2000 under a private organizational model that is considered a breakthrough for European professional team sports. The competition features 24 clubs from 12 or more countries per season and crowns its champion each spring at the Euroleague Final Four, one of the signature events of European sports. The 2010 Euroleague Final Four will take place in Paris, France. Basketball in Europe has experienced spectacular growth in recent years, along with the development of Euroleague Basketball. In just nine years, Euroleague Basketball has consolidated a competition of the highest sporting level, has introduced the concept of a professional league to Europe and has expanded its television reach beyond Europe to all five continents.

Pressemitteilung: Euroleague