Fox Pan American Sports, Nissan to Sponsor Copa Sudamericana

Spanish-Language Cable Services, Automaker Back Soccer Tournament

-- Multichannel News, 5/16/2007 8:44:00 AM

Fox Pan American Sports and Nissan North America inked a three-year, multiplatform integrated sponsorship deal surrounding the Copa Sudamericana soccer tournament.

Under the pact, terms of which were not disclosed, Nissan nets title sponsorship rights to Copa Sudamericana across the United States on Fox Sports en Español and in Latin America and the Caribbean via Fox Sports Latin America.

The deal spans TV, print and online platforms and was executed in collaboration with Nissan Hispanic media planning and buying agencies The Vidal Partnership and OMD, respectively. There is an option to renew the partnership for a fourth year.

While Nissan has been the title sponsor of the Copa Sudamericana for the past two years, its involvement both stateside and across Latin America had previously been negotiated by each of the regions independently of one another. The annual 34-team tournament recently added Mexican clubs to its roster, making it an even stronger event over its five months of competition.

In addition to total tournament-naming rights, the television component includes full automotive category exclusivity, player-of-the-game features, in-game animated graphics, in-program brand integration and in-field signage that will reach an estimated 30 million viewers via the aforementioned outlets.

On the Internet, Nissan will take center stage on foxsportsla.msn.com, MSN’s exclusive Spanish-language sports destination, through a dedicated Copa Nissan Sudamericana mini-site that will feature customized content, a fantasy league, player and team profiles, statistics, results and highlights.

As for print, Fox Sports en Español Magazine, the most widely distributed single-brand Spanish-language sports title in the United States and Latin America, will feature a series of ads promoting tune-in, plus a Nissan-sponsored tear-out schedule designed to keep fans abreast of all the action over the five-month tournament.

“We’re proud to extend our relationship with Nissan and to continue to work closely with some of the industry’s top media agencies to create innovative solutions that not only connect with consumers in a culturally and lifestyle-relevant manner, but also deliver on our partners’ branding and business objectives,” said Tom Maney, senior vice president of advertising sales at Fox Sports en Español, in a prepared statement.