Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa today signed the historic commercial contract with partners DDMC Fortis which secures the financial future of the game in Asia for a decade.
In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – the home of the AFC Headquarters - Shaikh Salman and Dr Yi Rentao, the Chairman of DDMC Fortis, signed the deal which gives the exclusive rights to DDMC Fortis to market the AFC’s commercial properties for the next two cycles that take place from 2021 – 2028 - starting with the FIFA World Cup 2022 final qualifying round.
The AFC President said: “This is a most significant day in the history of the AFC. With the signing of this contract, the AFC can guarantee its Member Associations that the game in Asia has tremendously solid financial foundations from which to build.
“I am grateful to DDMC Fortis for the confidence and trust that they have shown in the current success and future potential of the Asian Football Confederation. The game in Asia has never been in a better position and we should cherish that.”
Dr. Yi Rentao, Chairman of DDMC Fortis and Wuhan DDMC Culture Co. Ltd said: “We are extremely proud to sign this contract and enter into this significant partnership becoming the first Chinese enterprise to have secured such a comprehensive commercial mandate for a prestigious global football property. We see this partnership as an opportunity for DDMC to carry out the important “Belt and Road” strategy.
“DDMC Fortis was created specifically for the purpose of delivering this prestigious mandate for the AFC. We built the company by combining DDMC, a leading Chinese Sports, Media and Entertainment company, with Fortis Sports, an expert sports marketing agency founded by Patrick Murphy and David Tyler.
“By combining the global market expertise of the two companies we are in the position to take Asian football to the next level and kick-off a golden decade of growth.”
The agreement will confirm DDMC Fortis as the exclusive agency for the AFC during the period 2021-2028 and in turn they will be dedicated entirely to the AFC’s determination to deliver the three AFC Vision statements of being the world’s leading confederation; to produce successful teams and to confirm football as the number one sport in Asia.