Press Release

Braunschweig, 5 December 2022.  The Basketball Löwen Braunschweig (English: Basketball Lions Braunschweig) have been able to report some welcome developments in the sponsorship field during recent months, and these have now culminated in another very positive piece of news. Volkswagen Financial Services, the Braunschweig-based and largest European automotive financial services provider, have become the main sponsor for the current season of Braunschweig's basketball team playing in the easyCredit Basketball Bundesliga, which is Germany's national league or First Division. As part of this commitment, Volkswagen Financial Services will occupy the main advertising space on the team jersey and will also receive, among other benefits, further advertising space in the Bundesliga arena along with extensive target-oriented activation measures. Dr. Christian Dahlheim, CEO of Volkswagen Financial Services, joins the Supervisory Board of the Löwen.

"Alongside cultural life, social projects and sustainability, sport is an integral part of our sponsorship commitment. We are impressed by and firmly believe in the concept adopted by the Basketball Löwen, the Braunschweig Way, and want to accompany the team on this path as a company," as Christian Dahlheim explained the staunch involvement.

Löwen Managing Director Nils Mittmann said: "The partnership with Volkswagen Financial Services and their commitment as main sponsor are a milestone in strengthening Braunschweig's position as a first-division basketball city and a further confirmation of our unique concept. We are delighted indeed to have such a strong partner at our side in Volkswagen Financial Services, with whom we will be able to successfully continue on the path we have embarked upon."

Dennis Schröder, the majority shareholder of the Basketball Löwen, commented: "We are very happy that Volkswagen Financial Services are supporting us as our main sponsor. The fact that they are making this commitment says a lot about our organization and the good job we are doing. I am very pleased that this is being noticed and recognized by Volkswagen Financial Services. This is the starting point for what we hope will be a long-term collaboration, one in which we will continue to work hard to achieve our goals. This also includes playing in international competition in the medium to long term. To make this possible, we need the support of the entire region. In this respect too, Volkswagen Financial Services, as one of the most important and successful companies based in the region, have taken a significant step to enhance Braunschweig as a prime basketball location by becoming our main sponsor, a move that will hopefully have a signal effect for other companies."

Volkswagen Financial Services has a history of supporting basketball in Braunschweig going back several years. In recent years, the First Division teams have been sporting the logos of Volkswagen Bank, Volkswagen Financial Services and, most recently in the 2020/21 season, the car rental brand "VWFS | Rent-a-Car". After the non-profit educational company Oskar Kämmer Schule gGmbH recently joined the Basketball Löwen operating company as shareholder and following the resulting change in the shareholder structure, a renewed commitment on the part of Volkswagen Financial Services has now become possible. As a result, the logo of the online used-car platform heycar will be emblazoned on the chests of the Löwen players during the current season. Volkswagen Financial Services AG and Volkswagen AG are shareholders of the heycar Group. heycar is the fastest-growing platform for quality used cars in the European automotive industry.

The commitment is initially scheduled to run until the end of the current season.

Information for editors

Volkswagen Financial Services are a business division of the Volkswagen AG group of companies and comprise Volkswagen Financial Services AG along with its associated companies, Volkswagen Bank GmbH, Porsche Financial Services, and the financial services companies in the USA and Canada that belong directly or indirectly to Volkswagen AG – with the exception of the financial service business of the Scania brand and of Porsche Holding Salzburg. The key business fields embrace dealer and customer financing, leasing, bank and insurance activities, fleet management and mobility services. Volkswagen Financial Services have a total of 16,849 employees worldwide – including 7,570 alone in Germany. Volkswagen Financial Services report total assets of around EUR 235.6 billion, an operating result of EUR 5.67 billion, and a portfolio of around 22.0 million current contracts (as at: 31.12.2021).