Tiscali and Thomascook.com unite in World Cup deal

Thomascook.com has signed an exclusive partnership with home broadband provider Tiscali to run during the FIFA World Cup, including live coverage of football matches over the internet. The operator will sponsor Tiscali’s World Cup 2006 microsite, which will feature football-related content and World Cup-themed holiday promotions, in what is expected to be a landmark year…

Thomascook.com has signed an exclusive partnership with home broadband provider Tiscali to run during the FIFA World Cup, including live coverage of football matches over the internet.


The operator will sponsor Tiscali’s World Cup 2006 microsite, which will feature football-related content and World Cup-themed holiday promotions, in what is expected to be a landmark year for rich media and the world’s most popular sport.


Alongside taking the majority of the traditional banners, buttons and skyscrapers on the site, Thomas Cook will also run a “World Cup prices from £19.66” campaign to countries involved in the four-week competition.


Tiscali will be one of a number of Internet operations that will be streaming live coverage of matches through their sites for the first time. The BBC last week revealed every match will be broadcast simultaneously online.


Thomas Cook head of online marketing, Manuel Mascarenhas, said: “Tiscali is a great fit for the Thomas Cook brand and we’re anticipating great results as well as fantastic exposure for our brand in the run up to the main holiday season.”


The deal was negotiated by Thomascook.com’s online media planning and buying agency, Harvest Digital.


Emma Wilson, a partner at the agency, said: “Clearly everyone will be talking about and reading about the World Cup this summer, and this sponsorship gives access to a large and passionate audience at one of the busiest times in the travel calendar.”