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| By: Associated Press |
| Published: February 27, 2006 |
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England's Arsenal soccer team will promote tourism to Israel under a $612,000 sponsorship deal signed Sunday.
The two-year agreement, signed by Israeli and Arsenal officials in Tel Aviv, is the soccer club's second with a Middle Eastern partner.
In 2004, state-owned Emirates Airlines bought the naming rights to Arsenal's new stadium in a blockbuster deal valued at more than $100 million. Arsenal officials said its Arab partner had no objections to the deal with Israel.
Under Sunday's agreement, Israeli tourism advertisements will be displayed on sideline billboards during televised games and on 450 screens at Arsenal's new Emirates Stadium, set to open in August. Israel will also run banner ads on the team's Web site. The televised ads will reach audiences in 198 countries, officials said.
"We're delighted to be part of this. We think football is a great product, and we think it will assist Israel become a more popular destination," said Keith Edelman, Arsenal's managing director.
The deal was signed by Edelman and Israel Tourism Minister Abraham Hirchson. The ads will be launched at the beginning of the 2006-2007 season.
The Israeli minister said Israel would pay 350,000 pounds ($612,000) to Arsenal, and be allowed to display its televised ads for five minutes during soccer matches. He called it a "breakthrough" agreement with one of the top soccer clubs in the world, allowing Israel to reach "tens of millions" of viewers worldwide.
Both men said the deal was completed with the knowledge of officials in the United Arab Emirates, a Gulf Arab country that does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.
"Before we strike any deal, we discuss it with our partners. This was the situation here as well," said Edelman. He said the team strikes only one agreement per industry. "This is the only tourism deal we intend to do."
Hirchson said Israeli representatives discussed the matter with Emirates officials at a World Economic Forum conference in Jordan last year.
Arsenal last week won an impressive 1-0 match on the road against Real Madrid in the Champions League. But it has struggled in the English Premier League, falling to sixth place after losing 1-0 to Blackburn on Saturday. |
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