Brands will be able for the first time to take up dedicated partnerships with FIFA around women’s football and esports/gaming. The international governing body for football said the new range of partnership packages “will provide more options and flexibility for companies to connect with global football and the biggest cultural events on the planet,” offering “more tailored opportunities” for the first time since 2013.
FIFA is launching three distinct “partnership verticals” with a range of packages available for women’s football and esports/gaming. It will also offer them for men’s football, which has been until now the organization’s focus, starting with the 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the U.S.
Building on the new strategy for women’s football unveiled by FIFA in 2018, equal commercial models are now being offered for the first time in this growing segment, starting with the FIFA Women’s World Cup due to be held in 2013 in Australia and New Zealand. “Partners in this new vertical will be able to directly impact and support the growth and development of the women’s game,” FIFA commented.
The same applies to the FIFAe Vertical based on the recently launched FIFAe umbrella brand for all of FIFA’s future esports and gaming initiatives. It will open up new merchandising and licensing opportunities.
Companies will be able to be associated with any of the three verticals in four different ways:
- World Cup Partners, Women’s Football Partners and FIFAe Partners will receive extensive global commercial rights across all national team tournaments within their respective vertical, or a premium position across all esports competitions.
- Sponsors will receive global activation rights surrounding the FIFA World Cup, the FIFA Wolen’s World Cup and/or across all FIFAe competitions.
- Tournament Supporters will have territorial activation rights for any of the three verticals. A more flexible Tournament Supporter program is already available now for junior women’s and men’s tournaments such as the FIFA U-20 and the U-17 World Cups.
- FIFA Partners like Adidas or Coca-Cola will continue to hold the highest level of association and category exclusivity across their respective FIFA properties and competitions.
FIFA said its new commercial approach will also enable brands to create community and purpose-driven programs. “The new model will allow our partners to create more tailored programming and marketing activations that align directly with their strategic business goals, and connect them to the world’s most passionate fans, in the world’s most engaging sport” said Kay Madati, FIFA’s chief commercial officer.
