China-based electronics brand Hisense signed a 16-month deal with FIFA to become an official sponsor of the '18 World Cup, which is "unusually short for FIFA, which typically looks for contracts of at least two World Cups," according to the AP. Hisense "signed up in the second-tier global category as the official television sponsor only for the Confederations Cup later this year" and the '18 World Cup in Russia. FIFA "now has 10 World Cup sponsors, with new deals all coming from China and Russia." There are "still 24 vacancies in a marketing plan that includes a new third-tier category giving sponsors only regional rights." Five major sponsors "failed to renew with FIFA" after the '14 World Cup, "including top-tier electronics backer Sony." In March '16, China's Dalian Wanda Group "signed a four-tournament deal" through '30. In September '13, Russian energy company Gazprom signed up for the '14 and '18 World Cups. Hisense joins Budweiser and McDonald's in the "second-tier 'sponsor' category, which has between three and five vacancies" (AP, 4/5).
