The European Broadcasting Union today announced that it has signed major international sponsorship agreements with Kyivstar and Samsung Electronics.

Kyivstar, a leading telecommunications operator based in Ukraine, whose main shareholder is Telenor (Norway), will serve as the International Mobile Operator for the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 and Presenting Sponsor in a selected number of western European countries taking part in the event to be hosted in Kiev by Ukrainian national broadcaster, NTU.

Samsung Electronics, a leading brand in international electronics, has been appointed as International Technology Partner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2005.

Kyivstar and Samsung Electronics have been granted extensive association, event, new media and media rights for the 50th Song Contest, which includes two live televised shows in one week � a Semi-Final on 19 May and a Final on 21 May 2005.

The agreements, which are part of an international commercial and marketing platform recently developed by the EBU for the Eurovision Song Contest, were negotiated by T.E.A.M. (Television Event and Media Marketing AG) based in Lucerne/Switzerland. T.E.A.M. has been acting as the worldwide exclusive marketing agency for the commercial rights of the Eurovision Song Contest since 2004.

Following the agreement with Nemiroff, signed with the EBU earlier in the year, the addition of Kyivstar and Samsung Electronics marks the closure of sales of international sponsorship openings for the event. These two sponsorship agreements are also among the first to be signed directly by the EBU in the history of the Song Contest. Following an intense evaluation process, the EBU decided that Kyivstar and Samsung Electronics met its demands to represent the Contest. “It is not just about finding new ways of sustaining and financing the Eurovision Song Contest, it is also about working with partners, which will contribute to its development. We are therefore very glad to see Kyivstar and Samsung Electronics among our international partners,” said Eurovision Song Contest Supervisor, Svante Stockselius.

Kyivstar President, Ihor Lytovchenko, explained that not only is the Eurovision Song Contest an ideal platform for international cultural exchange but it is also a strong symbol of European unity. “This vision strongly reflects the direction of Kyivstar, which strives to promote interactivity among individuals and break down barriers between communities. Therefore, our involvement with this event is our way of contributing to establishing communication and relations between the Ukrainian people and the rest of Europe,” he said.

The Eurovision Song Contest has a rich tradition and heritage dating back to 1956. It is one of the few truly pan-European television programmes transmitted live via the Eurovision satellite network, in prime time on free-to-air television, and is watched every year by an average of 100 million viewers across Europe.