Football Partnerships

By Alex Kotler

PlayBeautiful | The 2010 World Cup Experience

PlayBeautiful LLC is pleased to announce the official launch of PlayBeautiful | 2010 World Cup, an interactive, community-driven pop-up experience coming to New York City this summer for the entirety of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

Featuring real-time match viewing of every World Cup game, live demonstrations by the soccer industry’s top performers, video game competitions, film screenings, private events and an unparalleled retail environment, PlayBeautiful will be the top destination for residents and visitors to enjoy all of the excitement of soccer’s signature tournament.

“PlayBeautiful will provide New York City residents and visitors with a one-of-a-kind World Cup experience,” said Alexander Kotler, Executive Director of PlayBeautiful and Founder of Football Partnerships.

Please visit www.playbeautifulnyc.com for more information, follow @iPlayBeautiful on Twitter and join the PlayBeautiful group on Facebook for updates.

Gunners shooting down the debt-load

SoccerexBusiness Daily are reporting that English Premier League side Arsenal FC have reduced their debt from £332.8 million to £203.6 million, thanks in majority to £96.6 million in revenue generated by the sale of 261 apartments at Highbury Square, site of the club’s former stadium.

Said Arsenal non-executive chairman Peter Hill-Wood, in response to servicing the debt and a £10.7 million profit increase year on year: “How we will use this surplus remains undecided but, in addition to investing in the team, I think we will examine investment in club projects and infrastructure, both in and around Emirates Stadium.”

With English Premier League clubs owing 56% of Europe-wide commercial debt it becomes all the more difficult to point a finger at Arsene Wenger, an economist by trade, for his buying policy.

MP & Silva becoming “King of the Jungle”

SportBusiness is reporting an agreement between the Football Association of Malaysia and MP & Silva agency, whereby the latter will sell the international media rights of the Malaysian national football teams - the ‘Tigers’ - until 2016.

“As the home of Asian Football Confederation, Malaysia plays a prominent role at the heart of Asian football, and Malaysians are fervently passionate about football and their national team, and we are honoured to play a long-term role in the international distribution of Malaysian football,” said Nicola Antognetti, Vice President of Football Acquisitions at MP & Silva and a member of Football Partnerships.

What is the trajectory of Malaysian football in your eyes?

Read the original bit by Kevin McCullagh in SportBusiness

Tiring out all of Brazil

Continental AG, the world’s fourth largest manufacturer of passenger tires, has committed to serving as the Exclusive Tire Partner for the FIFA 2014 World Cup™ in Brazil.

Having recently reached an agreement to be an official sponsor of Major League Soccer, the German outfit is has its sights on expanding throughout the Americas.

“We have already laid the ground for worldwide marketing communication in the next few years by renewing the FIFA partnership through 2014. As a central communications platform, [professional] soccer has been shown to be extremely useful in enhancing brand awareness in our core markets and in contributing to a steady strengthening of our premium Continental brand’s market position,” explained Nikolai Setzer, Continental Executive Board member for Passenger and Light Truck Tires.

Is there value and/or ROI for Continental AG in being the ‘Exclusive Tire Partner’ of FIFA?

Read the original release here

English Premier League 24/7. Dear Lord.

EPL Talk revealed last week that the English Premier League will launch a 24/7 television service next season, with all content available for rights holders everywhere - except Great Britain.

Programming would include classic Premier League matches, news and discussion programs. By way of the Q17 rule, requiring all managers to attend in person and participate in post-match interviews, consumers can also expect more face time with Premier League gaffers. Sir Alex Ferguson on the BBC, anyone?

A host is yet undetermined, yet - like EPL Talk - Football Partnerships throws its support behind the little man of the one-liners, James Richardson.

Read the article by the Gaffer in EPL Talk

By Matt Cutler

Arsenal Holdings, the company that owns Arsenal Football Club, has reported record profits of £45.5 million for the year ending May 31, up from £36.7 million the previous year.

The company said turnover increased to £313 million thanks largely to television revenue and ticket sales reflecting the team reaching both the semi-finals of the Champions League and FA Cup during the 2008-09 season. Matchday revenue contributed £100 million and the sale of 208 private apartments at Highbury Square £88 million.

Read the rest of the article

The row over the state of Wembley’s pitch has claimed a high profile victim in the shape of the national stadium’s ground manager Steve Welch who was sacked on Saturday.

The Sunday Times claimed Welch has been made to pay with his job for the pitch which Arsene Wenger labelled “a disaster” after Arsenal’s FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea last weekend.

Read the rest of the article