Japanese corporation Dentsu Inc handled negotiations, as the IAAF’s exclusive worldwide commercial rights partner. It agreed deals in a total of 10 territories, including the three major markets in the region, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina.
Under the deals, the IAAF World Athletics Series competitions will receive greater than ever coverage. As part of the IAAF strategy to pursue maximum "free to air" coverage, the new agreements include many new partners and are mostly terrestrial deals. In seven Latin American territories, coverage of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Osaka 2007 was assured through a deal with the Latin American broadcasting union, the OTI.
In Mexico and Chile renewals were agreed with leading terrestrial broadcasters Televisa and TVN respectively, not only for Osaka but also for other IAAF World Athletics Series competitions. In Brazil, Dentsu and the IAAF secured a new long term deal with Globosat, the leading pay TV operator, that will ensure coverage of all IAAF World Athletics Series competitions from 2007 to 2009 throughout the territory.
With other broadcasting agreements to be announced soon, the IAAF and Dentsu Inc., anticipate that by the time of the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Osaka, Japan (25 Aug to 2 Sep 2007), the TV distribution and exposure of the IAAF WAS across the world will be greater than the 187 territories achieved for the last edition of the World Championships in Athletics: 'Helsinki 2005'.
