Lega Calcio Serie A and Philadelphia sign a partnership renewal

Philadelphia, an iconic brand of the Mondelēz International Group, and Lega Calcio Serie A have announced the renewal of their partnership. The agreement confirms the continuation of a collaboration which, over recent years, has enabled the brand to strengthen its presence in the world of Italian football.

As part of this new and even more extensive partnership, Philadelphia is stepping onto the pitch as an Official Partner of Fantacalcio®, a long-established platform in the sector with over 7 million registered users, in which Lega Calcio Serie A recently acquired a 51 per cent stake. The partnership thus takes on a new dimension: by entering the world of Fantacalcio®, Philadelphia becomes part of the most authentic moments of togetherness, friendship and conviviality that revolve around football, accompanying millions of people who live and share their passion every day. This strategic move allows the brand to connect with Italians in a natural, authentic and engaging way.

The project stems from a desire to create new opportunities for people to interact and to enrich the shared experiences linked to a passion for football. Fantacalcio®, which has always been synonymous with friendship and sharing, provides the ideal setting for Philadelphia to engage with fans, through two initiatives designed to make the fans’ experience even more immersive:

• Real-time Fantacalcio® ratings “powered by Philadelphia”: during the live broadcast of all 380 Serie A Enilive matches, fans will be able to view Fantacalcio statistics and ratings in real time. A TV graphic will appear on screen at key moments during the match, specifically between the 35th and 45th minutes of the first half and between the 80th and 90th minutes of the second half.
• The Fantacalcio® Game by Philadelphia: an interactive feature built directly into the Fantacalcio® app that will give the best fantasy managers of the month and the season the chance to present the ‘Coach of the Month’ and ‘Coach of the Season’ awards on the pitch – honours already sponsored by Philadelphia.

This ecosystem will be further supported by cross-channel media planning across all Fantacalcio® and Lega Calcio Serie A touchpoints: from Radio TV Serie A, to digital, through to social media channels and Digital Out of Home (DOOH) campaigns.

Shared values and the connection with the league’s key figures remain central to the agreement between Philadelphia and Lega Calcio Serie A. Philadelphia reaffirms its role as Title Sponsor of the ‘Coach of the Month’ and ‘Coach of the Season’ awards, dedicated to the best managers in Serie A Enilive. Furthermore, the sponsorship of highlights from all Serie A Enilive matches on the Lega Calcio Serie A YouTube channel and on the official app continues, bearing the caption “Presented by Philadelphia”.

In line with the values of respect, friendship and sportsmanship, the “Philadelphia Fair Play Moment of the Season” award has also been confirmed. This will be presented to the episode that best embodies the principles of fair play both on and off the pitch throughout the season, with a dedicated award ceremony taking place on the final matchday of the league. Finally, to support the narrative of the partnership, the Lega Calcio Serie A Ambassadors will also be involved, contributing to the development of dedicated content throughout the seasons.

Efforts are also continuing in connection with the Philadelphia Junior Cup | Keep Racism Out, an Under-14 football tournament that will continue to involve the parish youth clubs in the Italian cities home to Serie A teams, in collaboration with the CSI and the Lega Calcio Serie A clubs, in an initiative that aims to promote youth sport, highlighting fundamental values such as friendship and team spirit, which form the basis of the brand’s identity.

“We are delighted to extend our partnership with a multinational of Mondelēz’s calibre - said Luigi De Siervo, Chief Executive Officer of Lega Calcio Serie A -. The collaboration between the Philadelphia brand and Fantacalcio® will provide fans with dedicated games on the app and an ever-increasing amount of information to enhance their fantasy football experience, and will even enable us to reward the best managers on the pitch. The partnership with Philadelphia reaffirms our commitment to promoting the Philadelphia Junior Cup | Keep Racism Out, an under-14 tournament that enables over 10,000 boys and girls from parish youth clubs to take part, in keeping with values such as friendship, sportsmanship and mutual respect”.

Silvia Bagliani, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mondelēz Italia S.r.l., said: “We are delighted to renew our partnership with Lega Calcio Serie A. This agreement not only strengthens Philadelphia’s position within the national sporting landscape, but also broadens its reach by targeting young people through the Philadelphia Junior Cup | Keep Racism Out, on the one hand, and through an innovative collaboration with the world of Fantacalcio®, on the other. This collaboration enables us to engage with millions of fans in an interactive and modern way, whilst continuing to promote, alongside Lega Calcio Serie A, fundamental values such as inclusion and fair play.”