Watchmaker Hublot Won't Call Time on Its Soccer World Cup Sponsorship

   By John Revill 
 

Luxury Swiss watchmaker Hublot SA won't be calling time on its World Cup sponsorship, even as other companies review their ties with the event's organizer in the wake of a growing corruption scandal.

Nyon-based Hublot says it will continue as the official timekeeper of global soccer's biggest event despite the indictments of 14 people linked to FIFA that were revealed earlier this week. Hublot, part of French luxury giant LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (LVMUY MC.FR), has sponsored the event since 2010.

"We are part of the part of the games, like the referee, more than part of FIFA," Hublot Chairman Jean-Claude Biver said in an email. Mr. Biver said there was "no reason at all" to terminate the relationship.

Hublot's commitment to sponsoring the World Cup comes as other companies reconsider their relationships with Zurich-based FIFA, which has found itself at the center of a corruption scandal since U.S. authorities unveiled on Wednesday indictments against 14 individuals with ties to the organization.

Adidas AG, Coca-Cola Co. and McDonald's Corp.--all top sponsors of FIFA--have said they are monitoring the situation. Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd. said it was "deeply concerned" about the allegations against the organizer of soccer's flagship competition.

Mr. Biver declined to say how much Hublot paid for its sponsorship deal. But the brand gets plenty of exposure during the FIFA-organized World Cup which takes place every four years.

The Hublot name and logo--a stylized letter H--are featured prominently on electronic boards used by match officials to show the time left at the end of a game and when players are replaced by substitutes.

Hublot sponsored last year's World Cup in Brazil. It also has a contract that includes the 2018 Russia and 2022 Qatar World Cups.

The awarding of the Russia and Qatar tournaments to those countries is being investigated by the Swiss Office of the Attorney General in a separate inquiry into corruption at FIFA.

Write to John Revill at [e-mail]

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