The armaments group Rheinmetall has become the new advertising partner of the Bundesliga soccer team Borussia Dortmund.

The contract has a term of three years, the Düsseldorf-based company announced on Wednesday. The "Champion Partnership" includes perimeter advertising, backdrops at press conferences and displays on the stadium façade. The partnership is intended to make Rheinmetall even better known as a brand at home and abroad. The Rheinmetall logo will be on display for the first time during BVB's preparations for the Champions League final against Real Madrid in London on June 1.

Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger said that his company and BVB are partners whose ambitions, attitude and origins are a good match. "BVB is a club from the heart of North Rhine-Westphalia and stands like no other for the pursuit of top performance and international success." Security and defense are fundamental cornerstones of democracy, emphasized Hans-Joachim Watzke, CEO of Borussia Dortmund. With the new partnership, the eight-time German champions are committing themselves to the social importance of security and defense.

(Report by Tom Käckenhoff, edited by Myria Mildenberger. If you have any questions, please contact our editorial team at berlin.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for politics and the economy) or frankfurt.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for companies and markets).