The deal worth $30 million represents the biggest ever sponsorship contract in the bank’s history and underscores its commitment to football. The bank has invested significant sums of money in South African football since 1986 and supported both the unsuccessful South African bid for the 2006 World Cup as well as the successful 2010 bid.
First National Bank is the first South African company Fifa has signed up for its National Supporters programme. It will enjoy local rights to both the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the Confederations Cup hosted by South Africa during this period. Under the deal First National Bank will act as the official bank of the 2010 World Cup, providing full-service banking including commercial and corporate transaction banking as well as servicing of on- and off-site ATMs in close cooperation with FIFA Partner, Visa.
Fifa’s post-2006 commercial strategy comprises six Fifa Partners, six Fifa World Cup Sponsors and six National Supporters. Adidas, Coca-Cola, Emirates Airline, Hyundai, Sony and Visa are the six Fifa Partners. In April, Anheuser-Busch was unveiled as the first of the six FIFA World Cup Sponsors with two more sponsors to be announced soon.
