Opel Becomes Title Sponsor of the Handball-Bundesliga and Strategic Partner of the German Women's and Men's Handball National Teams

At the same time, Opel will become a strategic partner of the German national handball teams – both women's and men's – from July 1, 2026. The commitment runs for three years. With a holistic strategy of comprehensive activation and financial support, Opel is becoming a strategic partner of German handball. The partnerships with the association and the league were brokered by the sports rights and marketing agency SPORTFIVE.

With these new partnerships, Opel is continuing its commitment to sport, which has a history spanning more than 130 years. At the same time, the brand with Blitz aims to further sharpen its sporting profile and further establish the hugely popular and growing sport of handball in the heart of society.

“Opel and handball are a perfect match. Both stand for team spirit, motivation and dynamism," said Patrick Dinger, Head of Opel Germany. “Like Opel, the handball fan base sits firmly at the centre of society and is family-oriented, down-to-earth, approachable and authentic. And: Both brands were created and grew in Germany and have always stood for 'Made in Germany'. Together with our retail partners, we are looking forward to an exciting, energetic and successful cooperation with the national teams and the league."

Mark Schober, CEO of the German Handball Federation (DHB), said: “Opel and German handball move people. The DHB, HBL, and Opel are bringing energy and values to the

partnership in such a way that we can grow together in a strong handball alliance. We already have a shared history, and we are now contributing our talents for a successful future with the ‘Made in Germany’ quality seal. The partnership with Opel opens up great opportunities for German handball.”

Uwe Schwenker, HBL President and member of the board of the German Handball Federation said: “We are delighted to welcome Opel as the new naming rights partner. The Opel brand stands for performance, innovation, and high reliability, as well as outstanding technical expertise. This is an excellent fit for handball. The fact that this globally active automotive manufacturer has chosen us demonstrates the significant national and international appeal of our league.”

Frank Bohmann, Managing Director of HBL GmbH added: “On every match day, the HBL demonstrates passion, courage, innovative strength, and an unwavering commitment to performance and success. These values also apply to Opel, a manufacturer which we perceive as approachable, attainable, and innovative. We are therefore thrilled that the HBL and Opel, two iconic German brands with a strong presence, are joining forces to create innovative concepts that make handball and mobility a modern and attractive experience for fans and customers.”

Opel's strategic measures include the targeted promotion of handball and the sharpening of the brand profile. At the same time, the long-term sponsorship supports Opel's identification in the field of high-performance sports. Furthermore, Opel will become the mobility partner of German handball. Opel has always built sporty and modern vehicles and today, this claim is embodied in particular by the new high-performance GSE models. It is also emphasised by the new Astra and Astra Sports Tourer, designed, engineered and built at the Opel headquarters in Rüsselsheim, and the top-of-the-line SUV Grandland produced in Eisenach. These models stand for German engineering.

With the world's first all-electric rally one-make cup, Opel has been underlining its pioneering role and competence in exciting locally emissions-free motorsport that inspires customers and fans for five years now. The entry into Formula E reinforces this claim. At

the same time, Opel is proving how electric sporty driving pleasure arouses pure emotions and works for the middle of society with its hot new ‘everyday sports cars’ such as the battery-electric Mokka GSE and the recently unveiled Corsa GSE.

Like Opel's new high-performance GSE models, fast-paced ball sports such as handball are characterised by dynamism, excitement and emotions. The strategic partnership with the German women's and men's national handball teams as well as the strongest handball league in the world is therefore a perfect fit. Handball has become the second most popular sport in Germany. In addition, handball is one of the team sports with the widest reach on German TV. In addition, thousands of fans flock to the arenas for every game. Both partners – handball and Opel – clearly embody the ‘Made in and made for Germany’ idea: both originated and grew in Germany with a clear focus on the enthusiasm of the ever-growing fan base.

 

At the appearances of the national teams, the Opel wordmark and Blitz emblem will feature prominently on the jerseys of the players and other officials. The same applies to all teams of the Handball Bundesliga. In addition, the ‘Opel HBL’ composite logo will underline and emphasise the ‘Opel Handball-Bundesliga’ across all arenas and channels for the next three seasons. With banner ads, spots, advertisements and social media activities, Opel will increase awareness among viewers – at the games and appearances of the women's and men's national teams as well as in the context of the Handball Bundesliga.

What's more, Opel will develop targeted formats that actively appeal to the audience and in particular to young and digital target groups. Activities such as special media days, behind-the-scenes access, ticket raffles, further competitions and much more are planned. Of course, the retail partners always act as the central interface between Opel as a manufacturer and the handball community.

Opel has a proud tradition of being a partner of sports in general and dynamic ball sports in particular. With all the measures mentioned, Opel is now returning to handball with a bang. As early as the 1980s and 1990s, the manufacturer was the jersey sponsor of the national handball team and partner of the seven-time German champion TV Großwallstadt. With

the comprehensive new commitment to the national teams and the Handball Bundesliga, Opel will continue to increase the popularity of handball and at the same time, the partners can look forward to an exciting future.

 

Opel is one of the largest European car manufacturers and started building automobiles in Germany in 1899. Opel is part of Stellantis NV and is the first German brand to already offer all models with a fully electric drive based on its multi-energy platforms. The company thus gives its customers the freedom to decide for themselves how they want to travel and ensures that the future mobility demands of customers are met. Opel and its British sister brand Vauxhall stand for affordable mobility and are represented in more than 60 countries. Visit https://int-media.opel.com