PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A “web 2.0” publishing application

AFP’s new publishing application lets web and mobile operators handle AFP's multimedia content for the 2010 Winter Olympics and World Cup.

The online application automates publication of AFP content (illustrated historical and biographical data, real time stories, results, photo slideshows, videos) and allows clients to customize multimedia feeds to publish HTML modules directly on websites or mobile websites. It can handle all of AFP’s multimedia content and allows the generation of a search engine (which can access all AFP production) and links from AFP content to social networking websites, as well as handling top online advertising formats.

Available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and German, the HTML modules can be fully customised, enabling publishing client to apply their own graphics into modules.

Highlights:

• Setting up of HTML modules, web sections or mini-websites for the Winter Olympics and World Cup in just a few clicks
• Client choice of content: pick and choose as you want
• Easy integration of outside content (videos, photos, RSS feeds)
• Easily installed search engine
• Links to the main social networking sites (Facebook™, Digg™…)
• Sports results can be sent to mobiles by SMS
• Access to CSS style sheets for complete graphic adaptation
• Multilingual management
• Numerous integrated web advertising formats, including pre-roll video
• User statistics
• Hosting included

Exclusive AFP content, directly from the scene

The AFP publishing application is fed by our news wires and live result feeds. AFP journalists at the Olympics in Canada and football in South Africa will send comprehensive daily production of news, photos, videos and graphics.

• Vancouver Olympics - more than 70 reporters, photographers and video journalists with backup
• World Cup - more than 120 reporters, photographers and video journalists with backup

Winter Olympics production :

• 4 languages
• More than 100 articles a day in each language
• Live results from each discipline in text, XML or HTML
• Up to 500 photos a day and more than 9,000 archive photos available
• At least 2 still graphics a day + 15 animated graphics on winter sports
• 8 multimedia news wires ready to publish on the Internet (English, French and German)
• Video package: 80 reports guaranteed during the Games
• Historical and biographical data, with illustrations

World Cup production :

• 6 languages
• More than 150 articles a day, including coverage of all matches, all the teams
• Live results and team lineups in text, XML or HTML
• Up to 1,000 photos a day and more than 26,000 archive pictures
• Up to 80 still graphics a week
• 7 multimedia news wires ready for the Internet in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and German as well as “live text commentary” of all matches available in English and German
• Video package: 170 reports guaranteed in English and French - selective translation in Spanish, Portuguese and German
• Illustrated historical and biographical data

Our journalists will be reporting live from the stadium -- not in front of TV monitors -- that is AFP’s guarantee that its content comes straight from the most important sources, straight from the action. AFP is offering the best multimedia product on the market for the Winter Olympics and the World Cup. It is already used by the world's biggest media companies and sports organisations.

Growth of sports video production

"There is a growing demand for video from our clients. So have prepared video packages for the Winter Olympics, with more than 80 reports, and the World Cup, with more than 170, which will give as much coverage to press conferences, interviews and training sessions as to magazine-type reports, all in several languages and technical formats," said Eric Axelson, AFP’s group marketing manager for sports products.

More than 60 web media companies and international TV channels subscribed to AFP's video production for the Beijing Olympics and European football championships in 2008.

Flash™ application for the World Cup

As well as its text-photo-graphics-video content, AFP offers a Flash format application, available in more than 30 languages, which can be integrated on web sites and sponsored by advertisers.

Flash Highlights:

• Interactive and can be customized (background picture, contrast, colours, fonts)
• Integration of advertising, user tracking, etc.
• Match fixture calendar
• Live scores (goals, yellow/red cards...)
• “Live text commentary” in English and German
• Tables
• Essential statistics
• Illustrated teams, players and stadium data

World Cup Flash clients can also get an AFP news wire live from the competition, a slideshow of the day's best photos, and a video feed (optional features).

This versatile, attractive, cost-effective tool is already available for web sites that want to publish the complete World Cup experience.

Contact AFP for further information, tests or tariffs :

afp-sports@afp.com or (33) 1 4041 4839

About Agence France-Presse (AFP)

AFP is a global news agency delivering fast, accurate, in-depth coverage of the events shaping our world from wars and conflicts to politics, sports, entertainment and the latest breakthroughs in health, science and technology. With 2,900 staff and stringers spread across 165 countries, AFP covers the world 24 hours a day in six languages, delivering the news in video, text, photographs, multimedia and graphics.