Over half a million beneficiaries per match day
- The coverage, effective from Saturday 13th of February, will be automatic and free of charge for any soccer fan entering the stadium as a season holder or using a regular ticket for either division matches
- The accidental death or permanent disability cover is €25,000 per adult and the policy will be valid from one hour prior to the match until the spectators exit the football stadium
- Members of fan clubs will also benefit from additional coverage during their trips to and from league matches
BBVA Seguros and Spain’s professional football league, LFP for its initials in Spain, signed on 9 February 2010 an agreement under which all fans attending first division Liga BBVA and second division Liga adelante matches will be covered by free accident insurance merely by virtue of being a season ticket holder or possessing a regular match ticket. The so-called ‘Seguro Afición’ or Fan’s Insurance is totally free of charge and will start up next weekend to coincide with this season’s 22nd fixtures. Over half a million football fans will be entitled to benefit per match day across all the stadiums where first and second division matches are played.
The agreement signed between BBVA Seguros and the LFP takes effect this season and may be extended to the coming seasons. As a result, all football fans with a ticket or season pass to see any match played as part of the Liga BBVA or Liga adelante will avail of automatic and totally free cover for accidental death and permanent disability as a result of any incident arising from one hour before the match within the vicinity of the stadium, during the match and until they leave the premises.
The insurance policy also comprises additional benefits for fan club members (peñistas), covering their collective travel to and from the stadium. Specifically, this cover extends to members of official fan clubs recognised by any LFP club attending the match in a trip organised by the fan club in 12-seater buses or bigger.
This new agreement marks a quantitative and qualitative leap forward, highlighting BBVA’s commitment to all football league followers, based on an innovative approach to sports sponsorship.
“No league anywhere in the world has done anything like this, namely extending insurance cover to all league fans for the mere act of going to the football stadium”, said José Luis Astiazarán, president of the LFP. “We are particularly proud of this initiative as it includes the millions of fans that attend stadiums all across Spain every season, providing them with greater peace of mind”.
Any football fan in possession of a valid document entitling him or her to watch a match, namely a season pass, a ticket or a box guest pass, will automatically receive, free of charge, cover of €25,000 in the event of accidental death or permanent disability (€5,000 for anyone aged under 14).
Javier Bernal, who heads up business development for BBVA’s Spanish and Portuguese business, said that “BBVA’s goal is to make fans feel that we are there for them as the ‘soccer bank’. Our sponsorship commitment extends not only to the league, the football clubs and their stars, but importantly to all those express their love of soccer by going to the stadiums, making the BBVA league the most important in the world”.
Special offers
At the same time, BBVA plans to launch additional offers for football fans, regardless of whether they bank at BBVA, including discounts of 65% on life and house insurance at any BBVA branch in Spain, subject to presentation of a ticket or season pass for any first or second division club match. According to Eugenio Yurrita, chief executive of BBVA Seguros, “by associating with the world of football and Liga BBVA we are attempting to deliver several goals, including making the general public aware of the existence of BBVA’s insurance business and linking our name with an initiative that fits with our corporate values and our passion for people culture, because we are going to insure all football fans, regardless of whether or not they are BBVA customers”. Yurrita went on to note that “this also affords customers and non-customers the opportunity to avail of certain insurance products on preferential terms by virtue of their love of football”.
BBVA and soccer
BBVA’s commitment to soccer was born four years ago when it became the official sponsor of the LFP and the title sponsor of the second division. Since June 2008, the bank has been sponsoring the Liga BBVA and Liga adelante, consolidating its position as the ‘soccer bank’.
For BBVA, soccer represents universal values which fit perfectly with the bank’s own values, such as effort, teamwork, excellence, and fair play.
About BBVA Seguros
BBVA Seguros insures over 3 million beneficiaries, with over €10 billion in funds under management and attributable net profit of €260 million. It is a benchmark in the Spanish insurance sector and a leading player in bancassurance.
