Sony Ericsson - Official Mobile Handset of 2010 FIFA World Cup

Sony Ericsson, a 50:50 joint venture by Sony, a FIFA Partner, and Ericsson, announces that it has been appointed the Official Mobile Phone Handset of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. This appointment is effective immediately and forms part of the Digital Life category, which FIFA Partner Sony Corporation, one of Sony Ericsson’s parent companies, acquired in 2005.

Speaking in Lund, Sweden, to an assembled audience of journalists, Lennard Hoornik, Corporate Vice President and Head of Global Marketing said, “We are very excited about this announcement. At Sony Ericsson we feel we are uniquely placed to be a champion of football fans worldwide, using the marketing and promotional rights this agreement grants us to make Sony Ericsson handsets and accessories an integral part of the fan experience. Our role in football will be to use our sponsorship to innovate the experience of fans and give them greater access to football."

The Sony Ericsson sponsorship runs to the end of 2010 and includes the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. As the official mobile handset of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Sony Ericsson will enjoy various category exclusive rights globally and will be designated a FIFA World Cup Sponsor. Sony Ericsson will also have access to other FIFA properties.

The agreement with FIFA enables Sony Ericsson to partner with one of the world’s most popular sports and adds to the existing Sony Ericsson sponsorship portfolio. Sony Ericsson will apply the knowledge gathered from its continuing successful sponsorship of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, the largest sponsorship of professional women’s sport, to engage with consumers through new and exciting experiences.

Hoornik added, "The 2010 FIFA World Cup is one of the world's leading sporting events and is watched across the world by millions of fans.  It will be these fans that we focus our engagement in football on; using our relationship with FIFA and our handsets to enable them to get closer to the game in new ways and enjoy the 2010 FIFA World Cup. We are looking forward to using our handsets to capture and share their football experiences."

Sony Ericsson will announce further details of its FIFA World Cup sponsorship plans in due course.