Bangkok--2 Nov--FleishmanHillard
Partnering with Southeast Asia's most-watched football tournament for the first time, UnionPay aims to ride on the tournament's popularity to connect football fans through digital payments across Southeast Asia
AFF Suzuki Cup 2018 has scored global payment network, UnionPay, as its Official Payment Brand. Partnering with the AFF Suzuki Cup, Southeast Asia's most-watched football tournament, for the first time, UnionPay International aims to ride on the tournament's popularity across the region to further localise its brand and business, as well as support local sports and communities across Southeast Asia.
With over 7 billion UnionPay cards issued in 49 countries and regions, and over 51 million merchants and 2.6 million ATMs accepting UnionPay cards globally, UnionPay is one of the fastest-growing payment networks in the world. In recent months, UnionPay has also been leading the way in driving the roll-out of QR Code for payments across Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, while enabling ATM, POS acceptance and card issuance across 10 countries in Southeast Asia.
Vincent Ling, Deputy General Manager, UnionPay International South East Asia, said, "UnionPay is proud to be the Official Payment Brand for the AFF Suzuki Cup 2018, Southeast Asia's number one football competition that is watched by over 100 million fans in the region. Every two years, we always witness the best of ASEAN football and the unwavering passion of our football fans at this tournament. Through this inaugural partnership, UnionPay will be putting our best foot forward to support local football, ASEAN football, local communities and connecting with football fans all across Southeast Asia."
"Football is undoubtedly the most popular sport in Thailand and every national team game always receives great interest from local supporters. Through our partnership with AFF Suzuki Cup 2018, UnionPay hopes to bring the football experience to fans through our online campaign and exclusive prizes," added Vincent.
Lt Gen Dato' Sri Azzuddin Ahmad (Retired), General Secretary of the ASEAN Football Federation, said, "We are thrilled that the AFF Suzuki Cup 2018 is able to welcome onboard another strong brand in the shape of UnionPay. The tournament will kick-off in just over a week and with the backing of UnionPay and its services, we are well placed to deliver another outstanding edition of the competition."
The AFF Suzuki Cup is a biennial football competition organised by the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF), accredited by FIFA and contested by the national teams of Southeast Asia. This year's tournament will welcome a brand new format, with 10 qualified teams split into two groups of five to play a round robin system with each team playing two home and two away fixtures.
In conjunction with UnionPay's sponsorship of the 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup, soccer fans in Thailand can play fun and interactive games to win exciting prizes in UnionPay's "ShineYourWay" activation campaign, whereby Thailand's game tickets and two footballs signed by the Thai national team will be given away. For more info, visit https://unionpaysuzukicup.com/ and www.facebook.com/UnionPayThailand.
About the AFF Suzuki Cup
The AFF Suzuki Cup is a biennial football competition organised by the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF), accredited by FIFA, and contested by the national 'A' teams of Southeast Asia.
In 2018, the 12th edition of the AFF Suzuki Cup will take place from 8 November to 15 December, and boast an updated format. The 10 qualified teams will be split into two groups of five and play a round robin system, with each team playing two home and two away fixtures. The format of the knockout round remains unchanged, with semi-finals and the final played on a home and away format. For more information, please visit: http://affsuzukicup.com/2018/
About UnionPay International
UnionPay International (UPI) focuses on the international business of UnionPay, a global payment network that serves the world's largest Cardholder base. With over 7 billion UnionPay cards issued in 49 countries and regions, over 51 million merchants and 2.6 million ATMs accepting our cards in 170 countries and regions, UnionPay is currently one of the fastest-growing payment networks in the world.
As a company with a global acceptance network and a wide range of world-class payment services, UnionPay is committed to providing access to value and secure payment solutions that are tailored to the needs of the local market, to enable choice and ease of payment for consumers and businesses alike.
In Southeast Asia, UPI has enabled ATM, POS acceptance and card issuance across all 10 countries. In Thailand, UPI partners Bangkok Bank, Bank of China, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Kasikorn Bank, Kiatnakin Bank and Land & Houses Bank to provide a wide array of payment products and services. For more information, www.facebook.com/UnionPayThailand.
UnionPay's "ShineYourWay" activation campaign offers soccer fans in Thailand exciting ways to participate in the passion of the AFF Suzuki Cup and chances to win tickets and two footballs signed by their National Team. For more info, visit https://unionpaysuzukicup.com/
About Lagardere Sports
Lagardere Sports is a leading sports marketing agency with a global network of local experts dedicated to delivering innovative solutions that meet our clients' needs. We believe sport inspires emotions and passion that are essential to enriching people's lives and generate powerful collective experiences. At Lagardere Sports, we dedicate our expertise and passion to providing our clients with privileged access to the infinite opportunities of sports. Lagardere Sports is part of Lagardere Sports and Entertainment, a company with more than 1,700 employees worldwide and 50 years of experience. For more information, please visit lagardere-se.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.