LONDON, July 4, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- QXL ricardo plc (`QXL') (LSE:QXL) (Nasdaq:QXLC) (Frankfurt:QXL), the panEuropean online auction company, today announces that its U.K. subsidiary, QXL.com, has signed an exclusive cobranding agreement with ManUtd.com ('ManUtd'), the official website for the world's most popular football club.Via its cobranding programme, QXL has integreated its auction technology into the ManUtd.com site, creating a dedicated auction channel. The auctions went live on http://www.manutd.com on 1 July 2002. The auction channel is populated with QXL content, official Manchester United memorabilia from the club and those auctions created by the ManU fanbase.
ManUtd Auctions are fully integrated into the ManUtd site featuring alongside Home in the core navigation. In addition the channel is accessible within the Shop @ ManU dropdown menu, and certain auctions will be promoted via editorial in the News section. Offline, the auction facility will be promoted to Manchester United fans in the quarterly "Welcome Pack."
Peter Northing, Managing Director of QXL.com, commented: "This new partnership with the Manchester United website is a significant signing for QXL, solidifying our position within the online football community. It's a fantastic brand for us to be working with and we look forward to introducing auctions to the global Machaester United fan base."
Ben Hatton, Director of Business Development, Manchester United Plc, "It was very important for us to offer our users auctions from the ManUtd site, an environment with which they are already comfortable. We chose QXL as our official auction partner as their cobranding solution ideally suited our objective. In addition the revenue share business model is complimentary to our ecommerce strategy."
The financial terms of the agreement are based on a revenue share model, including shared revenue from the sales of advertising inventory, which will be sold exclusively by QXL.
About QXL ricardo plc
QXL ricardo plc ("QXL") is a panEuropean online auction community, conducting online auctions in eleven languages and twelve currencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week in an efficient, convenient and entertaining environment. QXL enables buyers to bid on merchandise and services from across Western Europe which are sold by QXL members and merchants. QXL also enables sellers to locate and trade with buyers in new geographic markets. A wide selection of merchandise and services is available on its online auction community, ranging from computer software and hardware, consumer electronics, household appliances and collectibles to travelrelated items and sports equipment. QXL is a publicly traded company with its shares listed on the Official List of the United Kingdom Listing Authority, the Nasdaq National Market and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. QXL provides access to the QXL trading community in: UK www.qxl.com; Germany www.ricardo.de; France www.qxl.fr; Italy www.qxl.it; Netherlands www.ricardo.nl; Norway www.qxl.no; Denmark www.qxl.dk; Spain www.qxl.es; Poland www.allegro.pl; Sweden www.qxl.se; Finland www.qxl.fi; Switzerland www.ricardo.ch