Bangladesh’s government has acquired last-minute rights to soccer’s upcoming FIFA World Cup national team tournament, securing exclusive coverage through state-owned broadcaster BTV.
The country’s Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) approved the purchase of broadcast rights for the competition for Tk 72.70 crore ($5.9 million).
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This represents a substantial decrease of Tk 25.30 crore compared to the previous tournament in Qatar four years ago, when the government paid Tk 98 crore. The 26% reduction comes despite the tournament expanding from 32 to 48 participating countries.
The direct purchase by the Bangladeshi government ends a period of uncertainty caused by a failed deal between FIFA and Singapore-based company, Springbok Private Limited.
Despite initially acquiring the rights in the country, the firm withdrew from the agreement after failing to sell them locally.
BTV has obtained all media rights for the World Cup, enabling the state-owned broadcaster to provide comprehensive coverage of the tournament across various broadcasting platforms.
Matches will also be shown on Somoy TV and T-Sports channels, as well as on digital platforms via Banglalink’s OTT service Toffee and Grameenphone’s Bioscope.
Taking place across the 16 host cities in the US, Mexico, and Canada, the World Cup will begin on Thursday and run through to the final on July 19.
In total, FIFA has secured contracts with almost 80 international broadcasters across nearly 50 countries.
Meanwhile, Inter Rapidisimo, the Colombian courier and logistics brand, has been named as a tournament supporter of the World Cup in a late deal.
Throughout the tournament, Inter Rapidisimo will deliver a range of fan-focused initiatives, including promotional campaigns, special activations, and unique experiences.
The renewed collaboration builds on a long-standing relationship between the organizations.
The brand was the first Colombian company to be named an official regional supporter of the 2022 World Cup, before later extending its global presence through the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Last week, FIFA added customer relationship management provider Salesforce as an official tournament supporter, a third-tier partner in the governing body’s commercial program.
The supporter category also features brands such as Airbnb, American Airlines, Betano, Boggi Milano, Diageo, DoorDash, Fanatics, Globant, Marriott Bonvoy, Public Investment Fund, Rock-it Cargo, The Home Depot, and Valvoline.
Brands in this category hold regional, territorial, or category-focused rights across the host nations.
Elsewhere, global consumer products giant Unilever has added the Dr Squatch brand to its promotional activities at the tournament.
Dr. Squatch, the US-based men's personal care brand, will serve as a second-tier official sponsor of the World Cup, marking its first major global sports sponsorship.
Unilever is the official personal care sponsor of the tournament and will activate its range of products, including Dove, Axe, Lynx, Degree, and Sure.
The company recently unveiled its largest ever sports partnership activation for soccer's showpiece event. In total, over 35 Unilever Personal Care brands will be activating globally.
