Alma Media announces alliance with Finland’s National Football Association

Alma Media Corporation   Press Release 22 December 2015

ALMA MEDIA ANNOUNCES ALLIANCE WITH FINLAND’S NATIONAL FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

Alma Media and the Football Association of Finland have concluded a memorandum of understanding that will see Alma Media established as one of the sports organisation’s main collaborators.

The two-year agreement extends until the end of 2017 and includes a renewal option for a further two years.

Both parties believe the agreement will offer significant mutual benefits and help enhance the status and profile of the game in Finland.

“Alma Media stands to benefit from this collaboration in a number of ways. Football’s international reach spells new opportunities for our international recruitment arm, Alma Career. Alma Career is also active in Croatia, who have been drawn in the same group for qualification for the World Cup as Finland’s men’s team. Iltalehti, another brand in our portfolio, is a major Finnish sports media outlet, while Ilona, an Iltalehti affiliated site, is aimed at a female audience and provides an ideal fit with women’s football, which is currently seeing a huge rise in popularity. What’s more, our Aamulehti daily anticipates that several national games will be played in Tampere during the agreement period and many local media outlets in places like Rovaniemi and Kemi are seeing a real grassroots surge locally. All in all, at Alma Media we are very well placed to make the most of this alliance with the Football Association of Finland,” Kari Kivelä, Iltalehti publisher and member of the Alma Media Group Executive Team, commented.

“This agreement with Alma Media, one of Finland’s most important media outlets, is a significant step for us and provides us with an excellent opportunity to continue to build on the success of Finnish football and establish it as the number one sport nationally and locally, both in terms of popularity and participation. Alma Media’s values are a great match for us and we have great expectations for the future,” said Kalle Seire, Head of Sales and Marketing at the Football Association of Finland.

The agreement will take effect from the beginning of 2016.

More information:
Alma Media, Kari Kivelä, Publisher, IL-Media, tel: +358 (0)10 665 000, kari.kivela@almamedia.fi

Football Association of Finland, Kalle Seire, Head of Sales and Marketing,  +358 (0)40 505 5619, kalle.seire(a)palloliitto.fi

Alma Media in brief

Alma Media is a media company focusing on digital services and publishing. In addition to news services, the company’s products provide useful information related to lifestyle, career and business development. The services of Alma Media have expanded from Finland to the Nordic countries, the Baltics and Central Europe. In 2014, the company employed an average of 1,830 professionals (excluding deliverers), of whom approximately one quarter worked outside Finland. Alma Media’s revenue in 2014 totalled approximately EUR 295 million. Alma Media’s share is listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. Read more at www.almamedia.com.

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