Japanese advertising agency Dentsu has signed an eight-year deal with Conmebol, the continental football federation in South America, for the rights to the next three editions of the Copa America.
The deal covers three Copa America international tournaments in 2020, 2024 and 2028 and includes the acquisition of all global commercial rights, including sponsorship, broadcasting, licencing, gaming, ticketing and hospitality.
The deal is effectively an extension of the deal Dentsu signed for the 2019 Copa America tournament after replacing MP & Silva. Dentsu agreed a direct deal with Conmebol after ex-MP & Silva president and group chief executive Seamus O’Brien’s specialist consultancy, Team Copa America, was hired by Dentsu.
Dentsu was understood to be earning a percentage of commission on media rights sales and sponsorship sales.
Dentsu’s relationship with the Copa America tournament has been growing since at least the 2007 instalment, when Dentsu picked up the media rights in Japan.
Datisa, a joint venture company made up of the Traffic, Full Play and Torneos y Competencias (TyC) agencies, previously held global media and marketing rights to the competition until 2023, with an option for a further three editions.
However, the rights were reclaimed by Conmebol after Datisa became embroiled in the ‘Fifagate’ corruption scandal.
Japan took part in the 2019 Copa America, which took place in Brazil, as one of the two invited teams (alongside Qatar).
In March 2018, MP & Silva was awarded the management of the consulting, rights sales and after-sales services for the 2018 Copa America, but the deal was terminated later in the year given the agency’s financial problems.