FIFA General Secretary, Urs Linsi, on behalf of FIFA President Joseph Blatter absent for the occasion, opened the meeting.

He expressed his immense pleasure of welcoming Broadcast Partners in Germany to the first event of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ and reiterated his confidence in HBS after the successful coverage, in 2002, of the first ever co-hosted FIFA World Cup™ in Asia.

During the meeting, Francis Tellier has been proud to announce a major breakthrough in the history of FIFA World Cup™ broadcasting:

HBS will produce the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ Germany in Widescreen (16/9) HDTV digital format.

From left to right: Markus Siegler (FIFA), Wolfgang Niersbach (OK 2006), Jerome Valke (FIFA M) and Dominik A. Schmid (Infront Sports & Media)