/ 22 March 2006

MTN signs World Cup deal

Mobile service provider MTN and Infront Sports & Media have signed an exclusive agreement for soccer’s showpiece in Germany in 2006.

The rights granted are in the category of Mobile Telephony and give MTN the right to provide video material from each match on mobile phones during the 2006 World Cup.

Ashraff Paruk, general manager business strategy, MTN South Africa, says: ”MTN customers will get the very best mobile 2006 Fifa World Cup content delivered near real-time directly to their cellphones using video, MMS and SMS.”

Customers can activate a service via the MTNLoaded portal, WAP, USSD or Interactive Voice Response to have content delivered to their cellphones.

The deal, which is exclusive for the territory of South Africa, covers all 64 matches of the 2006 Fifa World Cup and also gives MTN full access to the archive material from the 2002 Fifa World Cup, which took place in South Korea and Japan. The licence is valid until October 2006.