Allendorf (pps) One of the longest-lasting partnerships in winter sports has been extended once again. The heating manufacturers Viessmann have renewed their contract as main sponsor with the International Luge Federation, FIL, for a further two years until 2006.

Viessmann has been the most important sponsoring partner of FIL for the past eleven years and will thus be represented as main and title sponsors of the World Cup as well as of the respective seasonal highlights, the 38th World Championships at Park City, USA, in 2005 and the 2006 European Championships at Winterberg, Germany, until the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy.

“That’s good news at the conclusion of a very successful season”, FIL President Josef Fendt commented. “This partnership is something really special. We are looking forward to further co-operating with FIL“, said Torsten Stark of Viessmann’s sports marketing department.

TV broadcasts of the Viessmann Luge World Cup regularly achieved market-shares of more than 20 per-cent, particularly in the just concluded season. Georg Hackl’s Viessmann World Cup victory at Winterberg was the most-viewed luge broadcast of the 2003-2004 winter with a market-share of almost 30 per-cent.

As in the past years, the extension of the contract was negotiated by RGS Sportmarketing GmbH at Berchtesgaden, Germany.