CONCACAF and CONMEBOL Award IMG and Soccer United Marketing Copa America Centenario 2016 Commercial Rights

The decision concludes a month-long Request for Proposal process of extensive reviews from CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, and the Local Organizing Committee, as well as an independent evaluation of all bids

MIAMI (Wednesday, December 2, 2015) – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) and South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) today announced that IMG and Soccer United Marketing (SUM) have been selected to market and service the Copa America Centenario 2016’s commercial rights. The decision, which was ratified by the tournament’s Executive Committee, followed a thorough and successful Request for Proposal (RFP) process.



The combined bid from IMG and SUM, two global leaders in sports media and marketing, was selected from 12 responses based on criteria including: proposed financial models, the bidder’s reputation, responsiveness, capabilities, resources, experience in the field, and preparedness to move quickly to market and service the rights.



The tournament’s Executive Committee engaged a global advisory firm, to perform an independent assessment of the entire bid process. All bids were evaluated against these predetermined criteria by CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, and the Local Organizing Committee under the tournament’s new governance structure.



“CONCACAF is excited about the opportunity to work with IMG and SUM, as they will play an integral role in building the commercial success for this historic Copa America Centenario,” said Alfredo Hawit, CONCACAF President. “We are proud of the RFP process and the large interest it attracted in the marketplace. Involving global brands and worldwide broadcasters will ensure that soccer fans from around the globe will enjoy what we expect to be a once in a lifetime event.”



“We are very pleased to have participated in this process along with CONCACAF and U.S. Soccer, for the commercial rights of Copa America Centenario 2016,” said Juan Angel Napout, CONMEBOL President. “This is the first time that CONMEBOL has played a part in this type of RFP process -- which we will continue to implement in the future, starting in 2016. This commitment is an integral part of the governance reforms taking place at CONMEBOL in order to ensure transparency and benefit all our member associations.”



IMG is a global leader in sports, events, fashion and media operating in more than 25 countries around the world and has a very extensive and successful track record in monetizing global soccer rights, particularly in the Americas.



SUM, the commercial arm of Major League Soccer, has become the preeminent commercial soccer enterprise in North America, overseeing the marketing, promotion and operational execution of the region’s most successful soccer entities.



“Soccer United Marketing is proud to be selected, along with our partners IMG, as the commercial rights partner of the Copa America Centenario 2016,” said Kathy Carter, SUM President. “This official tournament, which will honor 100 years of history, is certain to be the largest, most significant soccer event the United States has seen since the 1994 FIFA World Cup. We are excited to contribute to what will be another watershed moment in the development of soccer in North America.”



Ioris Francini, President of IMG Events & Media, said: "The Copa America Centenario is a very unique event that will enjoy a huge profile in the world of football next year with many of the world's top players taking part. We are delighted to have been awarded these rights alongside our partners at Soccer United Marketing (SUM) and will strive to maximise awareness and broadcast reach across the world."



ESP Properties, a division of WPP, and SJX Partners, a division of CSM Sports and Entertainment, will assist IMG and SUM with sponsorship efforts for the 2016 Copa America Centenario.



The worldwide commercial rights for the Copa America Centenario 2016 include: sponsorship (rights and services), broadcast rights, broadcast services, and limited digital rights. The RFP was sent to more than 40 potential Proposing Organizations, and was open to both international and local agencies.



IMG and SUM will be responsible for full compliance with CONCACAF’s



About Soccer United Marketing

Soccer United Marketing (SUM), the commercial arm of Major League Soccer, has become the preeminent commercial soccer enterprise in North America, overseeing the marketing, promotion and operational execution of the region’s most successful soccer entities. SUM holds the exclusive commercial rights to Major League Soccer and the United States Soccer Federation, as well as promotional, operational and marketing rights to Mexican National Team games played in the United States, and the promotional rights to the past six (6) CONCACAF Gold Cup™.



About IMG

IMG is a global leader in sports, events, media and fashion, operating in more than 25 countries. The company represents and manages some of the world’s greatest sports figures and fashion icons; stages hundreds of live events and branded entertainment experiences annually; and is the world’s largest independent producer and distributor of sports media. IMG also specializes in sports training; league development; and marketing, media and licensing for brands, sports organizations and collegiate institutions. In 2014, IMG was acquired by WME, the world’s leading entertainment agency.



Media contacts:

CONMEBOL

prensa@csf.com.py



IMG

Gary Double

Vice President, Corporate Communications

Tel +44 208 233 7425 / +44 7768 825114

gary.double@img.com



Soccer United Marketing (SUM)

Marisabel Muñoz

Vice President, Communications

Tel +1-212-450-1262

marisabel.munoz@MLSsoccer.com

MIAMI (Wednesday, December 2, 2015) – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) and South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) today announced that IMG and Soccer United Marketing (SUM) have been selected to market and service the Copa America Centenario 2016’s commercial rights. The decision, which was ratified by the tournament’s Executive Committee, followed a thorough and successful Request for Proposal (RFP) process.The combined bid from IMG and SUM, two global leaders in sports media and marketing, was selected from 12 responses based on criteria including: proposed financial models, the bidder’s reputation, responsiveness, capabilities, resources, experience in the field, and preparedness to move quickly to market and service the rights.The tournament’s Executive Committee engaged a global advisory firm, to perform an independent assessment of the entire bid process. All bids were evaluated against these predetermined criteria by CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, and the Local Organizing Committee under the tournament’s new governance structure.“CONCACAF is excited about the opportunity to work with IMG and SUM, as they will play an integral role in building the commercial success for this historic Copa America Centenario,” said Alfredo Hawit, CONCACAF President. “We are proud of the RFP process and the large interest it attracted in the marketplace. Involving global brands and worldwide broadcasters will ensure that soccer fans from around the globe will enjoy what we expect to be a once in a lifetime event.”“We are very pleased to have participated in this process along with CONCACAF and U.S. Soccer, for the commercial rights of Copa America Centenario 2016,” said Juan Angel Napout, CONMEBOL President. “This is the first time that CONMEBOL has played a part in this type of RFP process -- which we will continue to implement in the future, starting in 2016. This commitment is an integral part of the governance reforms taking place at CONMEBOL in order to ensure transparency and benefit all our member associations.”IMG is a global leader in sports, events, fashion and media operating in more than 25 countries around the world and has a very extensive and successful track record in monetizing global soccer rights, particularly in the Americas.SUM, the commercial arm of Major League Soccer, has become the preeminent commercial soccer enterprise in North America, overseeing the marketing, promotion and operational execution of the region’s most successful soccer entities.“Soccer United Marketing is proud to be selected, along with our partners IMG, as the commercial rights partner of the Copa America Centenario 2016,” said Kathy Carter, SUM President. “This official tournament, which will honor 100 years of history, is certain to be the largest, most significant soccer event the United States has seen since the 1994 FIFA World Cup. We are excited to contribute to what will be another watershed moment in the development of soccer in North America.”Ioris Francini, President of IMG Events & Media, said: "The Copa America Centenario is a very unique event that will enjoy a huge profile in the world of football next year with many of the world's top players taking part. We are delighted to have been awarded these rights alongside our partners at Soccer United Marketing (SUM) and will strive to maximise awareness and broadcast reach across the world."ESP Properties, a division of WPP, and SJX Partners, a division of CSM Sports and Entertainment, will assist IMG and SUM with sponsorship efforts for the 2016 Copa America Centenario.The worldwide commercial rights for the Copa America Centenario 2016 include: sponsorship (rights and services), broadcast rights, broadcast services, and limited digital rights. The RFP was sent to more than 40 potential Proposing Organizations, and was open to both international and local agencies.IMG and SUM will be responsible for full compliance with CONCACAF’s Partner Code of Conduct. Soccer United Marketing (SUM), the commercial arm of Major League Soccer, has become the preeminent commercial soccer enterprise in North America, overseeing the marketing, promotion and operational execution of the region’s most successful soccer entities. SUM holds the exclusive commercial rights to Major League Soccer and the United States Soccer Federation, as well as promotional, operational and marketing rights to Mexican National Team games played in the United States, and the promotional rights to the past six (6) CONCACAF Gold Cup™.IMG is a global leader in sports, events, media and fashion, operating in more than 25 countries. The company represents and manages some of the world’s greatest sports figures and fashion icons; stages hundreds of live events and branded entertainment experiences annually; and is the world’s largest independent producer and distributor of sports media. IMG also specializes in sports training; league development; and marketing, media and licensing for brands, sports organizations and collegiate institutions. In 2014, IMG was acquired by WME, the world’s leading entertainment agency.Gary DoubleVice President, Corporate CommunicationsTel +44 208 233 7425 / +44 7768 825114Marisabel MuñozVice President, CommunicationsTel +1-212-450-1262

