MUMBAI: With the coming of the next Asian games in 2006, the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the sports marketing company, Dentsu Inc, representing the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).
According to the predictions of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU)secretary-general David Astley, the television coverage of next year’s Asian Games in Doha will be the most extensive in the event’s history.
The MOU, which contains the heads of agreement for the broadcast rights for the 15th Asian Games for 35 territories in the ABU region, was signed by Astley and Broadcasting & Image Rights for Dentsu deputy director and GM Kiyoshi Nakamura in front of over 200 delegates from 45 countries at the conclusion of the opening ceremony of the OCA’s 24th general assembly in Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by the president of the OCA, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, director general of the Doha Asian Games Organising Committee, Abdulla K. Al Qahtani, and ‘Orry’, the mascot for Doha 2006.
“We will be taking the games into more than 30 countries across the Asia-Pacific region, a tremendous increase over what we were able to achieve for the last Asian Games in Busan,” stressed Astley.
Astley added that the coverage that would be provided in December 2006 would l demonstrate to other sports property owners and marketers the effectiveness of working collaboratively.
“I must congratulate the OCA and Dentsu for embracing our idea of getting a television deal in place early so that we could set about the most important task of creating sponsorship and advertising value."
He further stated that by committing early they have been able to increase the number of territories and the potential TV audience by a huge margin.
“That is a tremendous result and should excite brand managers around the region,” Astley said.
The ABU have now left it up to the individual broadcasters to get behind the event and pursue commercial opportunities where they accepted advertising revenues.
“We have a long lead time for our members who sell airtime to fully leverage a positive result out of the Doha Games. Those who don’t carry advertising or sponsorship can also produce and promote coverage that will deepen station loyalty,” Astley concluded.
