Orange signs up as official EURO sponsor

Orange has been unveiled as the eighth global sponsor for UEFA EURO 2012 with its sister company, Telekomunikacja Polska (TP), acting as an official technology partner for next summer's finals.

The deal was revealed in a special ceremony held at Warsaw's Palace of Culture on Wednesday and means Orange will be the official telecommunications partner in 11 European countries: Armenia, Austria, France, Luxembourg, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

"This is a significant and exciting announcement for Orange," said Olaf Swantee, Orange's executive vice-president for operations in Europe. "It is the largest pan-European sponsorship project we have ever done. We put people, as UEFA puts its fans, at the centre of our values. It's a great fit – and together we bring customers and fans closer to the things they love."

As part of the agreement Orange, together with UEFA, will develop and distribute the official mobile application to ensure that fans across the Orange territories keep abreast of events in Poland and Ukraine between 8 June and 1 July 2012.

The UEFA Events SA CEO, David Taylor, said: "As host broadcaster for UEFA EURO 2012 it is crucial we have best-in-class services from Orange and TP, our technology partner, in order to deliver the live match signals from Polish stadiums to UEFA's many broadcaster partners and then on to football fans around the world. They are one of the best partners we could have. Global events need a global partner and Orange fits the bill ideally."

Maciej Witucki, president of Telekomunikacja Polska, added: "Together with UEFA we are going to provide technology to enable communication and data transfer among UEFA EURO 2012 sites in Poland, including stadiums and the international broadcast centre. I am convinced the partnership between UEFA, TP and Orange will be a major contribution to the success of this historic event for Poland."

Global partners
Orange becomes the eighth global partner for UEFA's flagship national team tournament, UEFA EURO 2012, following on from the announcement of the adidas, Castrol, Coca-Cola, Hyundai-Kia, Carlsberg, McDonald's and Sharp agreements. Two more will be named.