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PARIS, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Just before the kick-off of the EURO 2016 in France, UEFA on Wednesday spoke highly of its cooperation with Chinese electronics giant Hisense, the first-ever Chinese company which got the top-level sponsorship in the tournament's 56-year history.
Guy-Laurent Epstein, the marketing director of UEFA Events SA, told Xinhua that Hisense is a brand growing fast in China and "it is trying to expand internationally."
Hisense signed as the 10th global partner for the UEFA EURO 2016 finals on Jan. 14, joining Adidas, Carlsberg, Coca-Cola, Continental, Hyundai-Kia, McDonald's, Orange, SOCAR and Turkish Airlines to complete the tournament's sponsorship programme.
According to the deal, Hisense will also sponsor other UEFA national team competitions until the end of 2017, including the European Qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Futsal EURO 2016, the 2017 UEFA European U-21 Championship and UEFA Women's EURO 2017.
During the EURO 2016, running from June 10 to July 10, Hisense will join hands with the UEFA and some social media to create an interactive live streaming platform to provide fans worldwide with brand new experience.
At the programme launching ceremony in Paris, Epstein, who has been in charge of the UEFA marketing affairs since 2004, said that fast-growing China has a great number of football fans and the European Championship is a top-level football tournament.
"It is a great moment for the UEFA, and the EURO 2016 boasts the most digitalized information with 4K video signals (the highest-resolution signal available)," Epstein said.
Hisense's programme will help fans enjoy the EURO 2016 on cell phones and Ipads, he said.
"It is also something between football and the Chinese brand. As we provide a great commercial platform, I am sure that this sponsorship will give Hisense a great opportunity to grow their brand in Europe and internationally," he said.
"We look forward to working closely together with them in a mutually beneficial partnership that will also further promote the best of European football to millions of fans in China," he added.
Answering a question about if the UEFA will cooperate with more Chinese companies, Epstein said, "We have all the plans open and I expect more Chinese companies to come. But I can't disclose any details at this moment." Enditem
