Sony Brazil President Osamu Miura said that Sony "should extend its sponsorship" deal with FIFA and the World Cup beyond next year’s tournament, according to Tariq Panja of BLOOMBERG. Sony’s two-tournament deal ends after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Miura said that officials at Sony's Tokyo headquarters "have yet to negotiate an extension to the company’s biggest sponsorship." Miura said, "I really hope Sony headquarters will decide to continue because the next World Cup after Brazil will be Russia, and after Russia will be Qatar. These markets are also very important for Sony." Brazil’s importance to Sony has "grown over the past decade," and the country is now ranked in the top "five or six" biggest markets, according to Miura, who "didn’t provide financial details." Miura, referring to Brazil, Russia, India and China, said, "Russia is also one of the BRIC countries so for us it’s very important." Sony’s rise in Brazil has "matched the growth in the size of the middle class in South America’s biggest country." Sony Brazil Marketing & Communications Dir Carlos Paschoal said, "We took 12 years to double size of company, then in three years we doubled again." TV sales this year during the Confederations Cup "were lower than expected because the competition was overshadowed by protests in the country’s biggest cities including Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and the capital, Brasilia." Miura said, "At that time it was very unfortunate because lots of demonstrations happened and they blocked the streets every day. People couldn’t go to the shopping center so we lost all opportunity during the Confederations Cup" (BLOOMBERG, 12/10).
