ABC is seeking seven "gold" sponsorship deals priced around
$6M to $6.5M each for its broadcast and cable coverage of the '98
World Cup, according to Brockinton & Reynolds of INSIDE MEDIA.
ABC sent proposals to the 11 FIFA world sponsors and gave "them a
two week window of exclusive negotiating rights." FIFA's
sponsors are: Canon, Anheuser-Busch, Mars, MasterCard, Coca-
Cola, McDonald's, GM, Gillette, Philips Consumer Electronics,
Fuji and JVC.
WHAT ABC WANTS: ABC is "looking for just seven sponsors to
buy all of the national commercial time," and deals will be made
on a first-come, first-serve policy. Sources tell INSIDE MEDIA
that MasterCard and A-B have agreed to deals, but ABC refused
comment. ABC will televise a minimum of 14 World Cup matches
from June-July '98, and at least 25 games will air on ESPN. The
rest of the matches in the 64-game tournament will be on ESPN or
ESPN2. Each gold sponsor secures four 30-second spots per game
telecast, one pregame 30-second, two at halftime, and another in
postgame. Advertisers will get logo space next to the on-screen
game clock. Also, the package offers about a dozen spots on
World Cup-related programming on 'Wide World of Sports.'"
SPONSORS: Several would-be sponsors describe the cost as
"very expensive," as it is a "sizable increase" from '94 when
gold sponsorships went for as much as $3.6M. Some FIFA sponsors
"are not exactly pleased that they have only two weeks to make a
decision." If ABC cannot get seven sponsors off the FIFA roster,
sources say other advertisers, possibly Kodak and Gatorade, are
interested. Of FIFA's group, JVC is said to have already
declined (INSIDE MEDIA, 4/29).
