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Yahoo! and FIFA Announce United Airlines to Sponsor FIFAworldcup.com, the Official Website of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™
LONDON - 8th April, 2002 - Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq: YHOO), producer and commercial marketer of FIFAworldcup.com, and Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the world governing body of football, today announced that United Airlines (NYSE: UAL) is sponsoring FIFAworldcup.com (http://www.FIFAworldcup.com), the Official Website of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™. The program brings together several consumer offerings across FIFAworldcup.com, United's worldwide Web sites and booking engine, as well as promotional opportunities for United Mileage Plus members in conjunction with FIFAworldcup.com.
Through the agreement, United is sponsoring several aspects of FIFAworldcup.com, which is expected to draw record traffic during the 2002 FIFA World Cup this summer, including:
· "United Time Converter" - an online tool that enables football fans globally to instantly convert FIFA World Cup match start times (occurring in Japan and Korea) into their own local time
· FIFAworldcup.com promotions and sweepstakes, including the opportunity to enter for a chance to win trips to the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals
· FIFAworldcup.com Mileage Plus Auction: beginning in mid-April, United's Mileage Plus members can bid on united.com/auctions using their personal Mileage Plus miles for tickets (offered by FIFAworldcup.com) and trips to the FIFA World Cup
· Links to United's global booking engines - a service on the Destination Asia section of FIFAworldcup.com that provides the ability to book trips to the FIFA World Cup
· Additional visibility on Yahoo!'s global network, reaching 219 million monthly unique
visitors worldwide
· Branding visibility through various multi-media advertising units across the official site
"We are pleased to welcome United Airlines as an integral part of FIFAworldcup.com at a time when prestigious global brands such as United are carefully selecting their marketing opportunities," said Randy Bernstein, vice president, Yahoo!-FIFA World Cup relationship. "This global program provides United the ability to leverage its own online assets against those of FIFAworldcup.com in order to target highly-qualified consumers. The 'United Time Converter' and links to United's global booking engines are especially compelling as they will serve as a cornerstone for millions of passionate fans who come to FIFAworldcup.com for information."
"As a global airline serving five continents, the worldwide appeal of football makes sponsorship of FIFAworldcup.com a natural fit for United," said Herman Tiemens, United's marketing manager for Asia and the South Pacific. "This sponsorship is a logical extension of our strategy to align with elite sporting events of interest to our global customer base. And our extensive network to Asia allow us to offer football fans an excellent option for their travel plans to the games. We also knew Yahoo! would be a valuable partner in helping us fully leverage our investment as they are true marketers in every sense of the word."
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F IFAworldcup.com - One Global Stage
In September 2001, Yahoo! and FIFA entered into an exclusive, multi-year, global relationship whereby they produce, market, and commercially operate the Official Website of the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups (http://www.FIFAworldcup.com). At the same time, Yahoo! has become one of 15 Official FIFA Partners worldwide for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan Ô (May 31 - June 30), the FIFA Women's World Cup China PR 2003 and 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™. To date, Budweiser, MasterCard International, adidas and Philips have joined as the first four Official FIFA Partners to acquire sponsorship opportunities on FIFAworldcup.com. In addition, the Korean National Tourism Organization (KNTO), the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC), and Motorola Inc. are also sponsoring FIFAworldcup.com.
About United
United now offers about 1,700 flights a day on a route network that spans the globe. News releases and other information about United can be found at the company's website, www.united.com.
About Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is a leading provider of comprehensive online products and services to consumers and businesses worldwide. Yahoo! reaches more than 219 million individuals worldwide each month, and is the No. 1 Internet brand globally. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., Yahoo!'s global network includes 25 World properties and is available in 13 languages.
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Yahoo! and the Yahoo! logo are registered trademarks of Yahoo! Inc.
All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™, the Official Emblem, the Official Mascots and the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy are trademarks of FIFA, registered in numerous territories around the world"
Media Contacts:
Phil Pendaries, Fleishman-Hillard, +44 (0)20 7395 7054, pendarip@fleishman.com
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