MUMBAI: Kicking off a major global licensing agreement, European football club AC Milan has announced the appointment of Warner Bros Consumer Products as its exclusive worldwide licensing representative.
 
 
The agreement sets the stage for AC Milan to work with various divisions within Warner Bros Entertainment and Time Warner on mutually beneficial marketing and promotional opportunities.

Milan Associazione Calcio s.p.a. VP and CEO Adriano Galliani says, “This unprecedented alliance between AC Milan and the world’s largest entertainment company has been a lifelong dream for me. Warner Bros Consumer Products is well-positioned to globalise our franchise and expand our fan base.”

 
 
Warner Bros Consumer Products will utilise their creative, licensing and retail expertise to develop a complete range of licenced products. New graphics, artwork and retail programmes will be created for promotion partners and licencees around the globe and opportunities to licence Internet cafés, eateries and other specialty venues will be explored.

Warner Bros Consumer Products’ Italian office in Milan will spearhead the licensing programme and closely coordinate all worldwide activities.

 
 
The AC Milan and Warner Bros Consumer Products partnership represents the first agreement of its kind between an entertainment company and a football club. Warner Bros Consumer Products has significant experience in football with licensing partnerships currently including the Federacion Mexicana de Futbol (Mexican National Team) and the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™. They also recently represented UEFA’s Euro 2004 tournament held in Portugal.