Fuji in £24m World Cup sponsor deal
Fujifilm has signed as a headline sponsor of the Fifa World Cup in 2002, in a deal understood to be worth up to $40m (&£24.4m).
The film giant has also confirmed it will sponsor Uefa’s European football championships, Euro 2000, in the Netherlands and Belgium. This contract is believed to be worth &£7m.
The company has been a World Cup sponsor since the 1982 tournament, in Spain. It has signed for the 2002 Cup, which is being held in Korea and Japan, and it has an option to renew for the 2006 competition.
Fujifilm president Masayuki Muneyuki says: “We have been providing photo services to press photographers covering the World Cup for many years. Through sponsorship, we expect to increase the awareness of our brand worldwide.”
The price of the sponsorship packages for both tournaments, negotiated for Fifa and Uefa by ISL/Dentsu, have been slammed by many sponsors. General Motors brand Opel has baulked at the hike and pulled out. Other companies are understood to be considering GM’s lead.
ISL has already signed World Cup 2002 packages with Budweiser, Coca-Cola, Hyundai, JVC, MasterCard and McDonald’s.
