IMG, SUM Get Biggest U.S. Soccer Event Since 1994 World Cup
- IMG and Soccer United Marketing said to bid almost $20 million
- Competition had been in doubt after $110 million bribe scheme
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IMG and Soccer United Marketing won selling rights for the the biggest soccer event to be held in the U.S. since the 1994 World Cup, after the 2016 tournament was almost canceled amid fallout from the FIFA corruption scandal.
The joint bid by IMG and Soccer United Marketing, or SUM, a subsidiary of Major League Soccer, won a sponsorship and broadcast tender for the Copa America Centenario. The group is offering a guarantee of a little under $20 million with any remaining profits split between the organizers and the rights holders, said a person familiar with the deal who was not authorized to speak publicly. A previous deal - now scrapped amid the ongoing corruption probe -- was worth $112.5 million.