UEFA appoints IMG as worldwide master licensee

UEFA has announced that IMG Licensing has been appointed as Master Licensee for UEFA EURO 2016, as well as the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, the UEFA European Women's Championship and the UEFA Futsal EURO.

This global rights deal includes all the above-mentioned national-team competitions until 2017, with a primary focus on UEFA EURO 2016 in France. Guy-Laurent Epstein, marketing director of UEFA Events SA, said: "As part of the continued growth of national team football in Europe, UEFA EURO 2016 will for the first time feature 24 teams, delivering a significantly enhanced commercial platform with 65% more matches and almost 80% more tickets available for fans compared to the last edition. 

"The official licensing programme is an important part of the event promotion allowing fans of all ages, in France as well as around the world, to connect with the competition. We look forward to working with IMG and using their expertise to together create a great range of UEFA EURO 2016 official licensed products."

IMG Licensing will develop an extensive licensing programme designed to reflect this growth and appeal to all segments of football and sports fans, thereby enabling them to embrace the competitions through the touch point of official licensed products.

Simon Gresswell, vice president of IMG Licensing Europe, added: "We are honoured to be working with UEFA. Our aim will be to create a lasting relationship between the competition and its fans, maximising the role that Official Licensed Products can play in the overall commercial programme. UEFA EURO 2016 will be the biggest ever UEFA European Championships to date, and we are confident that the licensing activity will match the event’s huge and growing popularity."

For the first time in the tournament's history, UEFA EURO 2016 will feature 24 teams competing over a full month, from 10 June to 10 July 2016. The tournament will comprise 51 matches staged in ten different cities across France. UEFA EURO 2016 will be a stage on which to celebrate both the game of football and the unique culture of the host nation.

Both core-category and creative licensees will be sought to design, produce and distribute ranges of fan, lifestyle, fashion and leisure products to be sold throughout Europe and other worldwide markets. With specific retail partnerships also to be confirmed, licensees can expect a strong retail platform for the programme. UEFA EURO 2016 aims to celebrate the dreams of 24 football nations in accordance with the tournament slogan – 'Le Rendez-Vous'. The event in France is destined to be an international festival of football and fun for everyone.