LONDON: Nickelodeon has received exclusive kids' media rights to the Manchester United Premier Cup tournament in Beaverton, Oregon.
An official release informs that Nickelodeon channels around the world will premiere a 30-minute special this August offering viewers highlights from the largest and most prestigious football tournament in the world for kids under 15 years old.
In addition, 33 newly produced vignettes shot around the world featuring professional players, as well as kids competing for a place in the youth tournament finals, will premiere on-air this month.
UK production company TWI is producing the new vignettes that will debut on Nick globally. These will feature both kid and professional players, each spotlighting a unique, inspiring story reflecting the different cultures that are united when it comes to playing and enjoying the game.
Parts of the programming will comprise a half-hour highlight special that will premiere on Nick channels globally in August, along with new footage from the event itself featuring kid and professional players.
Professional players confirmed to appear in the vignettes or special include Roberto Carlos (Brazil), Brett Emerton (Australia), Freddie Ljungberg (Sweden), Fernando Torres (Spain), Landon Donovan (US - men) and Mia Hamm (US - women).
The channels are also running a contest to send kids to the tournament, enabling them to participate in a Football Clinic with professional Manchester United players, among other activities. Viewers can enter the contest via local Nick web sites, as well as by telephone and post.
At the tournament, kids and their families will be able to watch the Manchester United first team train, participate in the Football Clinic training sessions with professional football players, and watch all of the matches including the finals.
The release informs that 20 youth football teams from across the globe will gather in Beaverton from 15-18 July to compete for the chance to become the Manchester United Premier Cup champions for the year. With more than 107,000 players across five continents and 40 countries participating in qualification matches over the last year, the Premier Cup showcases some of the brightest football stars of the future.
Senior director programming, acquisitions and content development, Nickelodeon Europe Jules Borkent said, "We're excited that Nickelodeon has received the exclusive kids' media rights to the Manchester United Premier Cup. Football is by far the most popular sport worldwide, and our programming and contest dedicated to the Manchester United Premier Cup will inspire kids to play, watch and learn in a creative environment that only Nickelodeon can offer."
The release states that the Premier Cup was developed by Nike a decade ago with the aim of providing junior players at grassroots level with the opportunity to compete in a high quality international tournament and test their skills against the best in the world.
For the first time this year, the Premier Cup will be jointly organised by NIKE and Manchester United, as part of the commitment both have made to invest in a grassroots football programme that will focus on youth participation and skills development.
According to a press note, Nickelodeon is seen in 279.1 million households and 156 countries, with channels and branded blocks in Africa, Asia and the Pacific Rim, Latin America, Europe, CIS/Baltic Republics and the US.
