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FIFA has announced that Emirates Airline has booked a first-class ticket into the heart of world football by signing up as a FIFA Partner from 2007 to 2014 in the product category Airline Passenger Services. This partnership, sealed by FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter and Emirates Group Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum at a signing ceremony in Dubai, represents by far the largest sponsorship deal the airline has entered into at a value of $195 million.
Emirates thus becomes the sixth and final FIFA Partner, joining adidas, Hyundai, Sony, Coca-Cola and Visa in the top tier of the world football governing body's new sponsorship programme that awards six blue-chip corporations the highest level of affiliation to FIFA over an eight-year period. Emirates will enjoy core sponsorship rights to all FIFA competitions, including the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ and the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, as well as to the world football governing body's special events and development initiatives.
Emirates' association with FIFA began in 2003 when it was an Official Partner of the FIFA World Youth Championship in the United Arab Emirates. Soon after, the Dubai-based airline signed up as one of fifteen Official Partners of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™.
The FIFA Partnership aligns Emirates with other global master brands and seeks to boost its brand awareness through a consistent presence in world football on an ongoing basis. FIFA will stage at least four competitions each year during the 2007-2014 rights period, including events as diverse as the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup and the FIFA Interactive World Cup. Emirates' portfolio of sponsoring almost reads like an A to Z of sports, starting with Australian Rules Football and ending with yachting. Emirates is already a prominent force in football sponsorship, but this new FIFA Partnership represents the airline's biggest investment in football - and sport - to date.
With the six FIFA Partners all on board, FIFA Marketing & TV now moves into the second phase of negotiations for the 2007-2014 rights period to find up to eight FIFA World Cup™ Sponsors. These will have global rights to both the FIFA World Cup™ and the FIFA Confederations Cup during this period.
E&OE
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