Ansearch ad deal with ESPNsoccernet.com

Stan Beer
Sunday, 16 October 2005 17:10

IT Industry - Deals

Australian  search engine site, Ansearch, has been awarded the rights by ESPNsoccernet.com, the world's largest English language soccer website, to manage its Australia and New Zealand online media advertising and sponsorship sales.

Under the two-year agreement commencing this month, Ansearch will be the exclusive online advertising representative for the site in Australia and New Zealand.

ESPNsoccernet’s associate director, Robin Ashton, said, “Soccer in Australia and New Zealand is experiencing growth at all levels. The launch of the A-League coupled with Australia’s continuing fight for a World Cup place make this an exciting time for the sport in both countries. This agreement will ensure that we are in a strong position to offer sponsors and advertisers effective and innovative packages on ESPNsoccernet, the leading website in the sector, allowing them to take full advantage of this growth and next year’s World Cup.”

Ansearch’s CEO, Dean Jones, said several facts made this agreement notable. “Soccer is the most popular game in the world, and in Australia, more kids play it than any other footy code," Jones said. "With the 2006 World Cup coming up in June next year, ESPNsoccernet will be one of the year’s most visited websites. Advertisers in Australia and NZ are seeking opportunities to reach this avid sports entertainment online audience, and ESPNsoccernet is the ideal environment for these advertisers to target their prospective customers.”

Ansearch expects advertising interest from a variety of sectors including finance, travel, automotive, sports manufacturers, and fast moving consumer goods brands.

“Over the coming months, Australian and New Zealand-based global brands will be able to take advantage of a series of attractive and unique sponsorship opportunities linked to ESPNsoccernet’s latest news, live scores and coverage of World Soccer’s major leagues and events, including the World Cup in June 2006. These major sponsorships, combined with ongoing advertising sales, will drive significant value in terms of revenues to Ansearch’s bottom line,” Jones said.