ESPN STAR Sports, the official broadcaster of the football World Cup, is eyeing nearly three -fold jump in advertising revenue from the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2010 compared to that from the 2006 edition.
According to industry sources, the sports channel is likely to pocket around Rs 150 crore from the tournament this time from advertising sales compared to Rs 55 crore in the last edition.
Media planners confirm that ESPN STAR Sports has already sold almost 95 per cent of the inventory.
Leading companies, including Vodafone and Airtel DTH, have already signed on as joint presenting sponsors, while Nokia, Samsung and Hero Honda have signed in associate sponsors for the matches.
Firms like Parley Agro, Pernod Ricard, Micromax, BPCL, Coca Cola and Jhaveri Industries have also booked spots.
When contacted, ESPN Software India Managing Director RC Venkateish declined to comment on the financials and the expected revenue from the soccer world cup.
"FIFA World Cup is one of the most watched sporting properties, not just in India but across the globe. Expectedly, the advertiser response has been tremendous," he said.
Industry experts pointed out that the good response of advertisers to the soccer world cup has been fuelled by growth of cable and satellite households in India, besides the growing interest of Indians in international soccer.
The 19th edition of the FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place between June 11-July 11, 2010 in South Africa.