TOKYO-- Sony Corp. has decided to end its sponsorship of World
Cup soccer amid growing concerns about the transparency of the
bidding process for the next two tournaments, a person familiar
with the matter said Tuesday.
Sony's contract as one of six "official partners" of FIFA, the
soccer governing body, was set to expire at the end of this year.
The decision not to pursue a renewal makes Sony the second top-tier
sponsor this month, after Emirates Airline, to move to sever ties
with FIFA.
FIFA this month closed an 18-month investigation into the
integrity of the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups,
which are set to take place in Russia and Qatar, respectively. The
organization said it found no wrongdoing serious enough to strip
the tournaments from the chosen hosts. But Michael J. Garcia, a
former U.S. attorney who submitted much of the evidence for that
investigation, criticized a FIFA summary as "materially incomplete"
and containing "erroneous representations of facts."
Unlike Emirates, Sony hasn't officially announced its decision,
but the person familiar with the situation said the company
wouldn't renew its eight-year deal, worth Yen33 billion.
One reason for the move, the person familiar with the matter
said, is that the company is focusing on cutting costs as it
restructures its electronics division, including the smartphone
business, which has featured prominently in Sony's World
Cup-related marketing. But the company was also concerned about the
possible negative implications of further associations with FIFA,
he added.
In June, Sony called on FIFA to conduct a thorough investigation
of corruption allegations, saying it expected the organization to
"adhere to its principles of integrity, ethics and fair play across
all aspects of its operations."
FIFA couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
Write to Eric Pfanner at eric.pfanner@wsj.com
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