NZME. to support Fifa U-20

Fifa aims to attract more than 500,000 fans to the World Cup. Photo / NZME.

Media company NZME. has been announced as one of four National Supporters of the Fifa U-20 Football World Cup which kicks off in New Zealand in May.

The National Supporters are local companies that will sit alongside and compliment the five Fifa Partners, and will give the event a local flavour.

NZME., which owns the New Zealand Herald, is the official media partner and will play a crucial role in promoting the event through its 24 newspapers and 12 radio brands.

Other sponsors include Tranzit Group, Rothbury Insurance Group and New Zealand Major Events.

"It is a vote of confidence in the tournament that these leading New Zealand organisations are showing their support in this way," said local organising committee chief executive Dave Beeche. "Today's announcement combined with strong early ticket sales of 50,000 puts the tournament on a strong commercial footing.

"It was important to us as an organising committee to bring a New Zealand flavour to our commercial partnerships and we look forward to working closely with all our partners to make this event a huge success."

Fifa U-20 World Cup commercial director Andrew Rogers said the tournament would reach about 170 million television viewers worldwide.

"That doesn't count people who just catch a glimpse on a news feed, that's people who sit down to watch at least 20 minutes of the programme," Rogers said. "So for brands who want to be involved in an international capacity, or be visible overseas, that's a pretty amazing viewership that can be delivered on.

"The tournament is bigger than perhaps people initially thought when we first got on the market. I think now there is a growing realisation that what we have been saying all along about the number of spectators and the number of television viewers is true, it's Fifa, it's a behemoth. This is Fifa's second-largest men's tournament," Rogers said.

Fifa aims to attract more than 500,000 fans to the World Cup, which takes place across Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Whangarei, Christchurch, New Plymouth and Dunedin.