(ATR) FIFA awards Megalicense Entertainment the contract to manage the retail and licensing program for the 2017 Confederations Cup and 2018 World Cup.
Megalicense beat out four other Russian companies in the bidding and will be in charge of the production of official licensed products and the opening of official fan shops in the host country, according to FIFA.
The decision comes with just over a month to go before the start of the Confederations Cup on June 17.
It’s not clear if the tight timeline played a part in Megalicense landing the deal, though FIFA did say that the company responded best to the defined principles and promises to deliver an outstanding licensing program fan experience for both the Confederations Cup and next year’s World Cup.
"The high level of the organization and delivery of the retail and licensing program is extremely important, and therefore we are pleased to have an experienced and professional company such as Megalicense Entertainment on board," FIFA’s Chief Commercial Officer Philippe Le Floc’h said in a statement.
Megalicense is the largest licensing agency in Russia and its General Director Zakhar Nazarenko wasted little time in making his sales pitch.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for our potential partners as the results of previous licensing programs such as the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and the Sochi Winter Olympics showed that the status of an official licensee or retail partner can help companies to increase their market share in a very short time, build new sales channels and enter new market segments," Nazarenko said.
FIFA will be hoping to top the records set by the retail and licensing program for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. It was activated in 189 territories with more than 1,000 official tournament stores helping to sell more than 150 million officially licensed products made by 160 licensees from around the world.
Written by Gerard Farek
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