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Tag: Asian Football Confederation

  • WSG inks $ 200 million deal for Asian Football Confederation rights

    WSG inks $ 200 million deal for Asian Football Confederation rights

    MUMBAI: Sports marketing firm World Sport Group (WSG) has signed a deal worth over $200 million with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), securing the financial future of Asian football until 2012.

    The deal, between the game’s governing body in Asia and WSG, confirms football’s position as Asia’s number one sport.

    The size of the deal is seen by industry watchers as further proof that major corporations, fans and consumers believe Asian football to be on a par with football in Europe and South America, and with the potential to outstrip both.

    WSG president Seamus O’Brien said, “Our commitment gives the AFC the strongest base possible from which to invest in football at all levels across the continent. They now have a firm footing to oversee the future development of the sport to improve facilities and to nurture the talent of tomorrow, from the elite national and club team competitions to grassroots projects.”

    For O’Brien, whose association with AFC dates back to 1992, the deal is another significant milestone in the development of Asian football and WSG’s growth into Asia’s leading sports event, marketing and sponsorship agency.

    “From the outset, AFC and WSG have had a set of share objectives and a mutual understanding, and we have always sought to find business solutions that take into account and reflect the enormous diversity of the continent,” concluded O’Brien.

    AFC president, Mohamed bin Hammam agreed: “This agreement follows months of negotiations by both parties, and I am delighted that we have now gained the commercial security to continue our rapid development and progress at all levels of the game.

    “Our partnership with WSG is of immense importance to AFC. Their belief in Asian football, and their loyalty to AFC, creates a winning partnership, and I look forward to many more productive years.”

    The AFC is looking to extend its cooperation with WSG after 2012, if both parties are able to achieve their mutual objectives, added Hammam.

    The current roster of blue-chip companies which sponsor AFC include Asahi Shimbun, Coca-Cola, Emirates, Epson, FamilyMart, Hyundai, Makita, JCB, Kirin, Konica Minolta, Maxell, Nike, Nikon Samsung, Toshiba, Toyota and Yamaha.
     

  • ESS’ deal with the Asian Football Confederation

    ESS’ deal with the Asian Football Confederation

    MUMBAI: Sports broadcaster ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has reached a multi-year agreement with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

    Asian football fans can tune in to ESS over the next three years for coverage of some of the world’s and the region’s biggest football tournaments. The AFC package includes the rights for the 2004 Asian Olympic Qualifiers and the Asian World Cup Qualifies (for the 2006 World Cup) as well as the Asian Cup 2004, the biennial Tiger Cup (2004 and 2006) and the biennial Asian Youth Under-20 Championships (2004 and 2006). The package also includes the Asian football weekly magazine show Football Asia . This wil air from April to March 2006.

    In all, ESS will air 170 hours of live Asian football action on Star Sports (48-hour delayed basis in China for the World Cup and Olympic Qualifiers and Asian Cup matches). This will reach over 57 million households across Asia claims the broadcaster.

    ESS’ senior VP programming & Event Management Group Manu Sawhney was quoted in a company release saying, “We already know how strong the appetite for football is in Asia. More and more, Asian football and Asian football players are coming into their own. This became evident after the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea and seems set to continue.

    “Our goal through this calendar of Asian football programming is intended to fan the flames of passion through providing Asian fans with an avenue to see their national team compete at the highest standards in their quest to claim a berth on the world’s football stage. This series of Asian football tournaments will no doubt be a good barometer of the continually changing balance of power in Asian football.”