Bayer – one of the biggest sports sponsors in Germany
Bayer is one of the biggest sports sponsors in Germany. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, Bayer began sponsoring sports clubs in the communities surrounding its production sites to help its employees make constructive use of their leisure time.
In promoting sport, Bayer is taking on a social responsibility, particularly in the areas of inclusion, diversity and health, and is having a positive impact on society with its diverse sport commitment.
As a life science company, Bayer supports both competitive and grassroots sport in the communities surrounding its sites – with a tradition of commitment to parasport and a strong sense of responsibility for encouraging youth sports.
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History of Bayer Sport
The first Bayer sports club was established at the beginning of the 20th century to meet the desires expressed by the company’s employees. As the Bayer plant was isolated in a no man’s land between the Cologne suburb of Mülheim and the village of Wiesdorf and had no infrastructure or options for creative leisure activities, the plant management agreed to set up the first sports club.
On July 1st, 1904, the "Turn- und Spielverein der Farbenfabriken vorm. Friedr. Bayer & Co." sports club was founded as the first Bayer sports club in Germany. As the company expanded, so did the significance of sports. From the initial dedication to sports solely as a leisure pursuit, participation evolved almost inevitably to championship levels, as Bayer athletes naturally aimed to enhance their performance. The company readily responded to its employees' requests for a more diverse expansion of available sports and eventually became one of the largest sports sponsors in Germany.
History of Bayer sports clubs:
- July 1904: Founding of the first Bayer sports club under the name “Turn- und Spielverein der Farbenfabriken vorm. Friedr. Bayer & Co.”
- November 1905: Founding of the Fußballclub Uerdingen 05
- April 1999: Spin-off of the football department from TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen e.V. to form Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH
- May 1908: Founding of SV Bayer Uerdingen 08 water polo and swimming club.
- 1910: Founding of the Ruderverein Bayer Leverkusen rowing club
- 1913: Founding of Tennis Club Leverkusen
- 1919: Founding of Hockey Club Leverkusen
- December 1920: Founding of SV Bayer Dormagen sports club
- July 1951: Merger between the rowing club, tennis club and hockey club to form RTHC Bayer Leverkusen
- 1952: Founding of SV Bayer Wuppertal sports club
No other company promotes sports activities in such a diverse and traditional way as Bayer.
Bayer:
- is committed to top-class, grassroots, parasport and to nurturing young talent
- has sponsorship agreements with teams including the professional footballers at Bayer 04 Leverkusen and sports associations such as the National Paralympic Committee Germany
- maintains partnerships with organizers, sports institutions and sports associations such as the Deutschen Behindertensportverband (National Paralympic Committee Germany)
- makes significant investments both in terms of financing and investments of a “non-cash” nature (e.g. building sports facilities)
A Few Facts about Bayer Sports Today:
- 22 Bayer sports clubs
- Approximately 43,000 members
- 50 different sports on offer
- 20 top teams in 15 different sports
- 70 Olympic medals
- 90 Paralympic medals
- Over 200 World Championship medals
- Over 100 European Championship titles
- Over 800 German Championship titles
- The TuS 04 football team wore the Bayer Cross on their tops as early as 1936
Laureus Sport for Good Index 2023:
As a versatile supporter of sport, from grassroots to the highest level, as well as parasport, Bayer has been included in the Laureus Sport for Good Index 2023. Inclusion in this index, which is awarded by the world-renowned charity Laureus and the global media company SportsPro, is testament to Bayer’s international commitment to sport. This makes Bayer one of the 30 brands that, through their cooperation, creativity and innovation in the field of sports promotion, make a significant contribution to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals and have been recognized for this.
