Yahoo!, a pioneering company since the dawn of the Internet age, and one of the leading service providers in the areas of communication, business and media on the World Wide Web, is the 15th and final Official Partner for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan.
FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter and Jeff Mallett, President and COO of Yahoo!, today signed the contract at FIFA House, in Zurich. Under the agreement, Yahoo! will provide FIFA with its many services and innovations in the various Internet sectors, up to and including the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
‘Football and the Internet are two of the most global terms in today’s world. By signing this agreement with Yahoo!, FIFA has gained the industry leader as an Official Partner for the new Internet product category’, commented Mr Blatter.
‘Thanks to this partnership, fans across the whole world will now be able to follow the events in Korea and Japan online, and at any time of the day or night. At the same time, in the short space of the three months since we restructured our marketing activities by setting up FIFA Marketing AG, we have been able to achieve our aim of completing our group of Official Partners for the first ever FIFA World Cup in Asia.’
The agreement centres on the official website of the FIFA World Cup (www.FIFAWorldCup.com
There will be a minimum of six languages to choose from, ranging from the two languages of the host nations Korea and Japan, to English, French, Spanish and German. The Official FIFA World Cup(tm) E-Shop will also be an important part of the website, allowing fans to purchase official licensed products online.
From a technology point of view, Yahoo! will provide ideal support for the first ever FIFA World Cup to be held in two different countries and 20 stadia. The agreement also provides Yahoo! with the perfect opportunity to prove its credentials as a leading Internet company.
The FIFA WorldCup.com website will be able to extend its reach to 156 million worldwide Yahoo! users, and will be able to provide them with detailed and breaking news and information on the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan.
Yahoo! is the fifth Official Partner to sign up under the new FIFA marketing program for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, following in the footsteps of Avaya, Toshiba, NTT and Philips.
On 11 and 12 September 2001, FIFA will hold a workshop in Zurich for all 15 Official Partners of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan, listed here in alphabetical order: adidas, Avaya, Budweiser, Coca-Cola, Fuji Xerox, Fujifilm, Gillette, Hyundai, JVC, Korea Telecom/Nippon Telecom, MasterCard, McDonald’s, Philips, Toshiba and Yahoo!.
For further information please contact:
FIFA Communications Division
Andreas Herren
Tel: +41 1 254 9725
Fax: +41 1 384 9696