Panini will continue to be the licensee of the German Football Association (DFB) until the 2014 World Cup Finals in Brazil. The long-standing and most recently extremely successful cooperation between Panini and the DFB was renewed by the Gruenwald based brand management and media company m4e AG, since 2004 the exclusive worldwide licensing agent of the DFB. The new contract offers Panini the rights to manufacture and distribute sticker collections with albums and trading cards using the images of the players as well as the DFB brand. Both partners are continuing a success story which spans decades, because Panini collector’s albums first appeared to mark a World Cup in 1970, to be followed in 1980 by the first albums for European Championships. The images of German team players were popular collectibles for young and old in all sticker collections which have been published since.

“The long-standing DFB partner Panini has gained acceptance about a tendering procedure and we are very pleased to be able to continue this successful partnership also within the next years. Particularly the last events with the Fifa World Cup 2006 and the UEFA European Cup 2008 have shown that this partnership has led to increase the sales with stickers and trading cards compared with the events of the past excessively. The enormous flexibility of all partners and the creative putting into action of new crosspromotion possibilities have proven the success of the partnership”, explained Hans Ulrich Stoef, CEO of m4e AG.

In addition, m4e AG concluded several other licence agreements on behalf of the DFB: Heye-Verlag, Unterhaching, will publish a comprehensive calendar programme over the next 4 years. The publishing company is a leading supplier of calendars of every kind with diverse themes and concepts – from Mordillo or Loriot right through to Harry Potter, Snoopy, or the Bundesliga. Furthermore it has been possible to extend the existing licensing agreement with the Teepe Sportverlag up to the year 2011. The contract covers the DFB Quartet, Skat playing cards as well as the DFB magic cube, which will continue to be available in the sports and toys retail trade.

Further contracts in the areas of stationery, accessories and toys are shortly to be concluded and will be announced soon.