Airtel kicks off soccer world cup deals galore

Airtel subscribers in India will now have the freedom to access information and follow football matches to be played at the FIFA World Cup 2006 in June as Bharti Airtel has tied-up with ESPN Mobile, Singapore, the sole distributor of mobile value-added services for FIFA.

Starting June 9, 2006, Airtel subscribers all over the country will be able to get two-and-a-half minute preview clips on every World Cup 2006 match to be played till July 9, 2006.

These will include match analysis and predictions, highlights and team news. Subscribers will also be able to download football games, wallpapers, ringtones and video clips on their mobiles. To download wallpapers, subscribers would have to pay Rs 10, Rs 15 for ringtones, Rs 30 for videos, between Rs 50 and Rs 99 for games.

Customers can also opt for an entire World Cup package for Rs 99 which would include goal alerts, match updates and match fixtures.

In Kolkata, Airtel is also planning to take soccer to the streets of the city during the world cup. The company has planned road shows where they will have trucks with screens telecasting the matches live.

It also plans to put up giant screens in public places like shopping malls where soccer fans can enjoy the matches while they move about, Hemant Sachdev, director (marketing and communication), Bharti Airtel, said.

Airtel is also tying up with pubs in Bangalore, Pune and Mumbai to have live telecasts of the matches. In Delhi, the company will visit colleges and have shows and quizzes.The company launched a contest, 'GOAL', the winner of which will be flown to his/her favourite footballing nation after the world cup.

For new customers, both in the pre- and post-paid segments, Airtel will give out Adidas tee-shirts in team colours of nations participating in this world cup. Pre-paid customers will also enjoy the advantage of seven new recharge vouchers that range between Rs 58 and Rs 430.

The company is also lowering tariffs. Local Airtel to Airtel calls will now be charged at 30 paise per minute for pre-paid customers, local calls to other mobile service providers for 60 paise per minute and STD calls at Rs 1.49 per minute.