VISA PAYS "HEALTHY INCREASE" TO GAIN COMPONENTS IN NFL DEAL

          Visa is "close to completing a four-year extension of
     its NFL sponsorship, a re-up that will extend its terms as
     the league's official payment card through 2004," according
     to Terry Lefton of BRANDWEEK.  Visa will continue to get
     club/league marks, but sources said that it paid a "'healthy
     increase' to gain a platform for its longstanding 'and they
     won't take American Express' claim."  The NFL was "again
     unable to deliver the Super Bowl as a paradigm for the long-
     running campaign, but agency sources said the Pro Bowl will
     be used as a creative platform in future advertising from
     BBDO, NY."  The new four-year deal "matches the expiration
     date of affinity-card issuer MBNA, which has issued more
     than 1.5 million cards bearing NFL logos since Visa first
     purchased its NFL sponsorships in 1995, making it difficult
     for Visa to walk away from the deal" (BRANDWEEK, 11/22).