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- Title
The lessons learned from football: Sponsorships, contracts and 'right of first refusal.'.
- Authors
Urbach, Ronald R.
- Abstract
In 2006, FIFA granted Visa exclusive sponsorship rights to the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. This move marked the end of FIFA's 16-year partnership with MasterCard. In response to this unanticipated decision, MasterCard filed a federal lawsuit seeking to enjoin FIFA from granting these purportedly 'priceless' rights to Visa. MasterCard alleged that, by summarily granting sponsorship rights to Visa, FIFA had failed to honour Master- Card's right of first refusal on future sponsorships of the tournament. The litigation that followed -- MasterCard Int'l, Inc. v Fed'n Internationale de Football Ass'n -- provides a cautionary tale of how a seemingly perfect sponsorship partner may eventually become one's biggest opponent. The case emphasises the importance of a well-drafted right-of-first-refusal provision, because in business, as in football, one cannot blindly assume that all parties will abide by the principle of 'fair play'.
- Subjects
FEDERATION internationale de football association; VISA Inc.; SPORTS sponsorship; CORPORATE sponsorship; MASTERCARD Inc.; RIGHT of first refusal
- Publication
Journal of Sponsorship, 2008, Vol 2, Issue 1, p77
- ISSN
1754-1360
- Publication type
Article