BERLIN’S 16-YEAR BMW ERA IS OVER. GENERALI TAKES THE TITLE.
October 8, 2026
Generali’s move to the top of Berlin’s sponsorship roster puts the business of major-marathon naming rights back in focus.
One of running’s highest-profile sponsorship positions is changing hands.
Generali Deutschland has become title partner of the Berlin Marathon, replacing BMW in a role the automaker held from 2011 through 2026. The partnership took effect October 1. The first GENERALI BERLIN-MARATHON will take place September 26, 2027. SCC EVENTS announcement
The change brings an established partner into the race’s most prominent commercial position. It also lands alongside a three-year renewal of Berlin’s RTL broadcasting agreement, putting sponsorship and media distribution on new footing ahead of the 2027 event.
The announcements did not disclose the sponsorship fee or the length of Generali’s agreement.
What the deal does reveal is how a brand can build a presence across a running calendar, then move into the flagship.
FROM PARTNER TO TITLE SPONSOR
Generali has partnered with the Berlin Marathon since 2017 and held the Berlin Half Marathon’s naming rights since 2019. Its relationship with SCC EVENTS also includes the GENERALI 5K and mini-MARATHON presented by GENERALI. Generali’s partnership history
That progression matters. The insurer already has years of experience with the organizer and opportunities to reach runners across different distances and stages of participation. The marathon gives that existing presence a more prominent international stage.
Generali describes the sponsorship as part of its broader sports strategy, linking physical activity, health and community participation.
The launch offered a concrete example of how the relationship can work. A registration run at the Brandenburg Gate gave participants guaranteed entries to the 2027 marathon, connecting the new title partner directly to a scarce benefit runners want. Generali launch announcement
THE BUSINESS OF THE START LINE
SCC EVENTS says the 2026 Berlin weekend attracted more than 86,000 participants from 162 countries across its events, with an estimated 1.2 million spectators along the course. The 86,000 figure covers the wider weekend, rather than marathon finishers alone. Organizer’s figures
For a sponsor, the opportunity extends across the runner’s experience: registration, preparation, race week and the memories that follow. Naming rights make the brand part of how the event is identified throughout that process.
The practical question is what a sponsor contributes alongside that visibility. Technology, useful services and access to participation give the relationship more substance. They also create something a runner can evaluate directly.
Look across the biggest races and those approaches are already visible.
HOW OTHER MARATHONS SELL THE POSITION
TCS is both title and technology partner of the London Marathon. Its renewed agreement runs through 2029 and includes the Mini London Marathon and the schools event. The official app and a digital finish gantry displaying supporters’ messages put its technology into the participant experience. London Marathon Events
New York follows a related model. TCS’s title and technology sponsorship there also runs through 2029. Its renewal linked race technology with support for NYRR’s youth and community programs, illustrating how a naming deal can extend beyond the marathon itself. TCS announcement
Bank of America holds Chicago’s title sponsorship, while Boston uses a different arrangement: the Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America. The decade-long Boston agreement began in 2024 and covers B.A.A. events and programming. The bank deliberately placed its name after the race’s, recognizing the event’s heritage. B.A.A. announcement Bank of America’s Chicago distinction
Paris offers another timely comparison outside the World Marathon Majors. ASICS becomes its title partner in 2027, following a 17-year relationship with the event. Schneider Electric, the outgoing title sponsor, remains involved as sustainability partner through 2030. ASICS announcement Schneider Electric announcement
Together, these agreements show a range of commercial choices: an expanded role for an existing partner, a technology-led relationship, a presenting designation that protects a historic name, or a shift into a specialist role. Title sponsorship sits within a wider set of rights and responsibilities.
RTL STAYS THROUGH 2029
Berlin is renewing its media relationship at the same time. RTL Deutschland and SCC EVENTS have extended their partnership by three years through 2029, with the race continuing live on RTL and streaming on RTL+. RTL renewal Broadcast details
This is continuity in distribution alongside a change in naming partner. It gives Generali an established broadcast platform as it takes over the title position. For the new title partner, that means its name will enter an established German television and streaming package.
WHAT GENERALI HAS TO BUILD
BMW’s own final race-week announcement shows how much a title partner can do around the name. At the 2026 event, the automaker used its new all-electric i3 as an elite lead vehicle, putting a product directly into the race presentation. BMW’s 2026 announcement
Generali will need its own expression of that relationship. Its existing events and stated health-and-participation strategy provide a starting point. The test will be whether runners experience useful programs and a sustained presence that make the connection credible.
For SCC EVENTS, the task is to turn the new partnership into support for the event while protecting the experience that makes Berlin attractive in the first place. A title can be transferred in an announcement. Its relevance has to be built across the year.
Generali has secured the name. What it builds around it will determine the strength of the partnership.
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