Borak Bola: Big Business

It goes without saying (but I'll say it here anyway), that it's big business in football, especially in terms of advertising and sponsorship. Recently we've read about FIFA having to pay Mastercard millions of dollars for misleading the card company into being the official credit card for the upcoming World Cups - with Visa being the clear winner by getting the rights instead. An observer once remarked in a BBC Hard Talk session a few months ago that one of the main reason why football is not so successful in America (or Soccer, as the bloody Yanks call it) is due to limited advertising time and opportunities it has - compared to NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA where there are 4 quarters, 9 innings, 3 periods and many time-outs and breaks for advertisers to capitalise - as opposed to the game of two 45 halves that football has.

The 2007 AFC Asian Cup itself has a total 9 Official Sponsors, and 6 Official Partners (less money these six companies) not including a variety of other sponsors and advertisers when we go to the national teams and the players. Malaysia already have Samsung and Proton on board, not forgetting Nike of course.

Nike, as I've mentioned before, is going big here. For example, for the first time in any Asian football competitions, Nike has launched the Nike Mercurial Veloci AC, a ball made specifically for the competition. According to the official press release, the ball features four predominantly blue (with gold accents) graduated stripes with each host city's name inscribed, the AFC Asian Cup logo comprised of red (Vietnam), green (Indonesia), blue (Thailand) and yellow (Malaysia) color designations in the shape of a football, and a Nike swoosh.

But what has always interest me (and I know a few of your hardcore fans out there too) is the subtle (okay, perhaps not so subtle) 'war' between the kitmakers - Adidas, Puma and Nike. Within the spirit of the competition between the teams, there is also the underlying battle between the sponsors. In the recent World Cup the German sportmaker Puma, for a long time was outshined by Nike and Adidas, staged the best guerilla attack, fitting out nearly half the teams in the tournament (dominating nearly all the African and South American teams) in similar designed Puma kits, and having the champion Italy shooting up the Puma azzuri shirts sales worldwide.

Last year, it was Nike dominating the UEFA Champions League final between FC Barcelona and Arsenal. This year, it was an all Adidas final between AC Milan and Liverpool. Nike took the reigns in England while Adidas made a comeback in Spain. In the Gold Cup Final tomorrow it will be an Adidas (Mexico - prior to this wearing the swoosh) v Nike (USA) final.

Here's quick look of the 2007 Asian Cup kitmakers line-up:

ADIDAS
China
UAE
Japan
Vietnam
Qatar
Uzbekistan

NIKE
Korea Republic
Australia
Malaysia
Indonesia

PUMA
Saudi Arabia
Iran
Bahrain (wore Diadora before but could be Puma for this tournament)

FBT
Thailand

OTHERS
Iraq (Jack Jones or Diadora?) - I need to confirm this. Iraqi footie fans out there?
Oman (Lotto) - Also needs confirmation

Whoever wins the tournament, the kitmaker will win too.

Whatever it is, hats off to the Thais who have always been loyal to their own local brand, FBT (which, I only found out, stands for FootBall Thailand - but I know they also make those killer Tomoi/Muay Thai shorts).

NB: Just a note that FBT has even secured the rights to kit out the whole of Malaysia SEA Games contigent for the upcoming SEA Games in Korat, Thailand, later this year.