Volleyball World, the commercial arm of the FIVB, and the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) have announced a landmark extension of their commercial partnership, securing one of volleyball's longest-term collaborations and extending Volleyball World's role as the AVC's exclusive commercial partner through to 2052.
The agreement, announced during the AVC Congress in Bangkok on August 8th, extends the landmark partnership first signed in 2022. It reflects the significant progress achieved over the past three years as Volleyball World and the AVC have worked together to strengthen the commercial foundations of volleyball across Asia.
Since the partnership began, Volleyball World and the AVC have transformed the commercial and operational landscape of volleyball in Asia by modernising the AVC brand, elevating the delivery and promotion of continental events, and expanding global media distribution. The partnership has also introduced major competition reforms, including enhanced qualification pathways and guaranteed prize money for the AVC Champions League and AVC Beach Volleyball Continental Championships, helping to raise standards and create new opportunities for athletes, clubs and fans across the continent.
The extended agreement provides long-term certainty and a shared vision for the continued professionalisation and sustainable growth of volleyball across the continent. As the AVC's exclusive commercial partner, Volleyball World will continue to lead the commercial development of AVC competitions, including sponsorship, media rights and event hosting, while supporting the continued rollout of enhanced competition formats, transparent qualification pathways and world-class event delivery to accelerate the long-term growth of volleyball across Asia.
Volleyball World CEO Ugo Valensi said:
"This extension is a powerful vote of confidence in what Volleyball World and the AVC have achieved together and, more importantly, in what lies ahead. Volleyball is growing faster in Asia than anywhere else in the world, and this partnership puts us in a position to shape that growth together — across both AVC and FIVB competitions. Our partnership has already delivered meaningful progress across competitions, commercial development and fan engagement, and this extension gives us the opportunity to achieve even more together.
"We are creating the long-term stability needed to make bold decisions, invest in the future and continue raising the standard of volleyball across Asia. We look forward to building on this momentum with the AVC and its National Federations for many years to come."
AVC President Ramon Suzara said:
"This partnership is a defining moment for volleyball in Asia. Together with Volleyball World we have raised the standard of our competitions, opened new opportunities for our athletes, national teams and clubs, and brought AVC events to a far wider audience. Committing to 2052 gives our 65 national federations the certainty they need to plan, invest and grow with confidence, and ensures that the next generation of Asian players and fans will experience volleyball at its very best."
