Goal.com, the football news website that is operated by digital sports media company Perform, has agreed a strategic partnership with Times Internet, the online and mobile arm of Indian publishing company Times Group.
Perform said the two parties will collaborate in creating a “unique blend” of local and international football coverage in a bid to reinforce Goal’s status as the leading global and regional football site.
As part of the collaboration, Times Internet will have exclusive rights to the Goal brand in India and will drive local commercialisation of Goal across both desktop and mobile. Perform will continue to leverage the Indian edition for key regional and global partnerships.
Perform said a key enabler for the growth of the partnership will be Times Group's ability to cross-promote the Goal brand, both across its wider sports vertical and offline publications.
Puneet Singhvi, business head of Times Global Partners, said: “The partnership with one of the largest global football sites gives us an ideal platform to build a strong destination for the rapidly growing base of soccer enthusiasts in India. We aim to use this partnership to evangelise the sport and make it more mainstream. We also look forward to working with Indian and international advertisers to roll out sponsorship and other advertising opportunities for this sought after and affluent audience segment.”
Perform and Goal hold video content rights to a host of football leagues and properties.