Sources "familiar with the matter" said that Sony "does not plan to renew its sponsorship contract with FIFA," as the Japanese electronics maker needs to "prioritize its restructuring efforts," according to Reiji Murai of REUTERS. Such a move would follow Emirates Airline's announcement this month that it was "ending its sponsorship of FIFA." Sony has been a FIFA sponsor for the eight years to '14 in a contract worth $280M. A FIFA spokesperson said, "The existing contract with Sony runs until 31 December 2014 and we are currently in discussions with the brand." Sponsors have put pressure on FIFA to "respond robustly to allegations of bribery to secure the 2018 World Cup for Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar" (REUTERS, 11/25). In N.Y., Eric Pfanner reported a source said that Sony decided to end its sponsorship amid "growing concerns about the
transparency of the bidding process for the next two tournaments." Unlike Emirates, Sony has not "officially announced its decision, but the
person familiar with the situation" said the company would not renew its
eight-year deal (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 11/25). The AFP reported Japan's leading Nikkei business daily said the eight-year, $280M contract, which expires this year, "would not be re-negotiated owing to worries that a new deal would be even more costly." The Nikkei said in its report that South Korea's Samsung is rumored to be Sony's "successor in the FIFA sponsorship." A Sony spokesperson said, "Our company wants to refrain from commenting" (AFP, 11/25).
