The fate of top level basketball in Frankfurt was secured as Frankfurt International Airport operators Fraport have agreed to take over as name sponsor from the Deutsche Bank Skyliners starting on July 1.
The name of the team, which will be hosting Game 5 of the German BBL semifinal playoffs against Alba Berlin on June 2, will become Fraport Skyliners at that point.
“We are very happy to have found a reliable and long-term thinking partner in Fraport. The Frankfurt airport is a powerhouse for the Rhine-Main area,” said Skyliners manager Gunnar Wöbke at a press conference at Frankfurt Airport on May 31.
“This partnership means an important milestone in the further development of the Skyliners and Frankfurt as a location for basketball.”
There was no mention of the length of the contract between the Skyliners and Fraport.
“The Skyliners are a national flagship for Frankfurt with their sporting success. But their strong dedication in the region, especially for youth in schools and clubs, make them an attractive partner for Fraport,” said Fraport CEO Stefan Schulte.
Schulte also said that Fraport, which last week announced that they would remain main sponsor with Frankfurt’s top football club Eintracht Frankfurt, will have the naming rights for the Ballsporthalle Frankfurt Höchst stadium and perhaps re-name it Fraport Arena.
“Fraport Skyliners just sounds good and it only makes sense that the team also plays in the future Fraport Arena,” said Schulte.
The Deutsche Bank announced early this season that they would pull out as naming partner at the end of the season. The German bank will remain with the Skyliners as a “premium partner” after six years as name sponsor.
The Deutsche Bank Skyliners reached the BBL finals in 2010, losing to Brose Baskets Bamberg. Frankfurt won the title in 2004 and then lost to Bamberg in the 2005 finals. After missing the playoffs in 2006 and 2007, the Skyliners reached the semis in 2008 and bowed out in the quarters in 2009.