Barclaycard has launched 4thegame.com, a Web site for football fans which cashes in on the card company's sponsorship of the UK's top soccer division, the FA Premier League.
Barclaycard has launched the site in partnership with Fast Web Media, whose flagship Web site, EPLsoccer.com, has been renamed and redesigned with FA Barclaycard Premiership branding.
It will provide its estimated 1.74 million regular world-wide users with up-to-the-minute news on the twenty Premiership teams, video news bulletins, exclusive ticket competitions, Barclaycard Awards footage, live scores, match reports and previews, exclusive features and interviews, player profiles, message boards, high profile columnists and a comprehensive search facility.
The bank says the site will be used as a vehicle to promote the Premiership Barclaycard to the credit card market and extend the Barclays brand to football supporters worldwide.
Nic Gault, Barclaycard’s sponsorship director, comments: “Our ambition is to make 4thegame.com the number one football Web site in the market.”
He adds: “Fast Web Media are the ideal partner for this venture. They have an in-depth understanding of the online football marketplace, strong technical ability and we were impressed by their strategic plans for the delivery of football content through electronic channels around the world.”
Barclaycard secured a £48 million deal in April 2001, under which the credit card company holds the global title sponsorship of the FA Premiership for the next three seasons.