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Emirates, which is already one among
the 15 commercial partners of the
2006 Fifa World Cup in Germany, expects
to double in size by the end of its
Fifa deal in 2014. These include Anheuser-Busch,
Avaya, Continental, Deutsche Telekom,
Fujifilm, Gillette, McDonald’s,
Philips, Toshiba and Yahoo!.
Last
November, Coca-Cola and Fifa extended
their partnership in a deal reportedly
worth about $500 million. That agreement
runs through 2022, making the soft
drinks giant the only sponsor to commit
for so long.
Fifa
has said it would now move into the
second phase of negotiations for 2007-2014,
seeking as many as eight sponsors
for the global rights to the World
Cup and Confederations Cup.
Emirates chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin
Saeed Al- Maktoum was quoted in media
reports as saying, "It is part
of Emirates plan to become a global
brand and household name and association
with the most high-profile sporting
event in the world is one part of
Emirates' strategy to achieve that
aim."
"We
believe sport is an ideal vehicle
to communicate with our passengers.
This partnership will enable us to
achieve global awareness of our brand,"
he added.
Maktoum
also added that they were also looking
at hosting a Fifa Beach Soccer World
Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
during the rights period.
In
addition to hosting a Fifa Beach Soccer
World Cup, Emirates can also choose
to host a second official Fifa tournament
in the UAE, to further enhance the
country's position as a centre of
sporting excellence.
Also,
as a part of the partnership deal,
Emirates has a commitment from Fifa
so as to have at least 22 matches
(including the opening match, two
quarter-finals, two semi-finals, the
third place play off and the final
of both the 2010 and the 2014 Fifa
World Cups) to be shown on free-to-air
television within the UAE.
On
the other hand, Emirates passengers
will also reap the benefits of this
partnership as the airline has the
exclusive right to broadcast matches
of the 2010 and 2014 Fifa World Cups
either live or delayed on its in-flight
entertainment systems.
Emirates'
branding will be evident at all Fifa
events, for 44 tournaments and 952
matches, during the term of this agreement,
as well as on all Fifa merchandise
and its website.
In
addition to this, as Fifa's only Travel
Partner, Emirates will also receive
preferred airline status and a commitment
from Fifa to develop business with
Emirates and to develop Dubai as one
of the world's premier travel hubs
and destinations.
The
airlines will also be launching a
unique airport experience by installing
interactive viewing stations at 16
international airports where fans
can follow the tournaments.
Airports
at New York, Zurich, London Heathrow,
London Gatwick, Nagoya, Kansai, Shanghai,
Narita, Brisbane and Hamburg are expected
to launch their Emirates Experience
booths in May, while airports at Hong
Kong, Melbourne, Sydney, Milan, Rome
and Dubai will kick off their campaigns
in June.
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