00:00To host the World Cup right here in our backyard, we want to do everything in our power to make
00:05it more affordable for fans to make those memories.
00:08And so I'm proud to stand here alongside so many other partners at city, state, and at the World Cup
00:13host committee to announce that if the best things in life are free, so too should the World Cup fan
00:18experience.
00:19That is why we are delighted to say that we will be hosting five free official fan events, one in
00:26each borough, featuring live viewings, local food offerings, and so much more.
00:32Good afternoon, everyone.
00:35It is a true pleasure to be here with all of you.
00:38And I want to acknowledge we have our governor, Kathy Hochul, who is here with us.
00:44A true partner in this work and so much more.
00:46We have our Staten Island Borough President, Vito Fasella, who is here with us.
00:51We want to thank the CEO of the New York, New Jersey host committee, Alex Lazzari.
00:56We want to thank – sorry, yes, we can get – we will do the pause for everyone.
01:02We have our administration's World Cup czar, Maya Honda.
01:05We have Dustin Brannon, the senior director of major event and operations at the state level.
01:11We have Mike Cusick, a former colleague, who is now the president of the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation.
01:17Megan Sillis, the president of Staten Island University Hospital.
01:20Eric Landau, the president of Brooklyn Bridge Park.
01:23Christy Hoos, the events director of the New York, New Jersey host committee.
01:26We have John Katsimatidis, who is also here with us.
01:30And we have the acting president and CEO of our EDC, Jenny Pack, as well as Gary Perrone, the general
01:35manager of the Staten Island Ferry Hawks,
01:37and so many others who are standing here alongside us as we celebrate what is truly an exciting moment
01:44and an exciting announcement for the entirety of our city.
01:46Now, 45 days from today, the world will come together to watch Mexico versus South Africa
01:52kick off the World Cup at the Azteca in Mexico City.
01:56For millions, this game holds a special resonance.
02:01It is the same matchup as the opening match of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
02:07All you need to say is,
02:09Shabalala, goal, Bafana, Bafana, goal for South Africa, goal for all Africa.
02:15And countless fans are transported back to that incredible moment.
02:19But when we remember the World Cup, we don't just remember how sweetly Shabalala struck that ball
02:24or how Papa Bubadiop took the incredible winner for Senegal against France in 2002,
02:30or Romelu Lukaku stepping over a 94th-minute pass to allow Nasser Chadli to score what was the winner for
02:36Belgium against Japan in 2018.
02:38We also remember the family members we celebrated alongside,
02:41the grandparents who shouted even louder than us that no era penal,
02:45the strangers who, for one brief moment in a bar or public park,
02:50became the best friends that we'd ever known.
02:53That is the beauty of the World Cup.
02:55The world's game truly brings the world together.
02:59And as we prepare to host the World Cup right here in our backyard,
03:03we want to do everything in our power to make it more affordable for fans to make those memories.
03:08And so I'm proud to stand here alongside so many other partners at city, state,
03:12and at the World Cup host committee to announce that if the best things in life are free,
03:17so too should the World Cup fan experience.
03:20That is why we are delighted to say that we will be hosting five free official fan events,
03:26one in each borough featuring live viewings, local food offerings, and so much more.
03:32These events were not initially set to be free,
03:34but the world's game should belong to the world.
03:37And so we've made the decision together for fans to be able to watch that together
03:41without having to spend a dollar.
03:43Now make no mistake, these are not simple one-day affairs.
03:47Some of them will last weeks.
03:49In Queens, it'll be held at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center from June 11th to 27th.
03:55In Manhattan, fans can watch at the Fan Village and Rockefeller Center from July 6th to the 19th.
04:00In the Bronx, it'll be held at the Bronx Terminal Market on June 13th and 14th.
04:04Staten Islanders will be able to watch at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park
04:08from June 29th until July 2nd.
04:11And Brooklynites will have quite the backdrop at Brooklyn Bridge Park from June 13th to July 19th.
04:17Now this is just one small part of our commitment to making the World Cup one that every New Yorker
04:22can afford to take part in.
04:24Every fan should be able to watch the greatest tournament on earth without having to dip into their savings.
04:29Today, we take the first step of many towards fulfilling that process.
04:33And now, before I pass it on, I do also just want to ask for a round of applause for
04:37everyone who is here who made this day possible.
04:40Truly, I want to thank all of you.
04:44Because announcements such as these are not ever made thanks to one person.
04:48It is thanks to a committee and to partners at every single level of government.
04:51And so it is my pleasure to welcome up to the microphone a partner in this endeavor, Governor Kathy Hochul.
05:03Good afternoon, everyone.
05:05And I want to recognize all the great leaders that have joined us here today.
05:09And I'll get to our mayor in a moment.
05:11I've got a couple comments about him, and they're all good.
05:15But also, Deputy Mayor Julie Su, Maya Honda, the World Cup Czar from the Office of the Mayor.
05:21Alex Lazzari, thank you for stepping up and saying yes to be the chair of our host committee and the
05:27entire host committee.
05:28And Justin Branham, who's my senior director of major operations, major event operations.
05:33I realized I didn't call him my own World Cup Czar because I think he wanted to make sure he
05:38had a job when the World Cup was done.
05:40And so he convinced me to change it to major event operations.
05:44So well played, well played.
05:45And our borough president, Vita Pasella, and John Katsimatidis, and so many others who are here today.
05:50This is a spectacular day.
05:53You know, as I came to the city after some meetings this morning, I'm heading back up to an Albany.
05:58Just a reminder how extraordinary this place is.
06:01And members from the rest of the world who may not know that are going to soon find out.
06:05But I want to say, I stand here not just as the first soccer mom governor in the entire state
06:13of New York, but also as a diehard Ted Lasso fan.
06:18And who doesn't remember the hapless Richmond Greyhounds who got a lot of us through the pandemic.
06:26It was a great escape.
06:27And I learned more about the sport than I ever did as a mom watching my kids play on the
06:32sidelines as my husband coached them.
06:34But, you know, our thought today is this.
06:37If you can't get to the World Cup, the World Cup is coming to you.
06:41And that's the commitment that the mayor and I are making as well as this host committee.
06:45And I want to give a special shout out again to the mayor who wears his passion on his sleeve.
06:51A diehard Arsenal football fan who's someone who, like I do, we've talked about this during a Buffalo Bills game,
06:57understand the highs and the lows, the great highs, the exhilaration of sports, but also the lows that go along.
07:03And it sort of prepares you for our jobs, we agreed.
07:06So we're in a good place.
07:07But your passion for this sport and for the city is exactly what we need right now as we showcase
07:13New York City and this region to the entire world.
07:15So I'm proud to work alongside of you with what has been a 10-year effort.
07:20As we know, it's the largest single sporting event on the planet.
07:24That's not an overstatement.
07:25And in just a matter of days, it's going to take place.
07:28And billions of fans in every corner of the globe will be united in captivating experiences, watching one intense, physical,
07:38exhilarating sport.
07:39And it's coming to us.
07:41We're expecting more than 1.1 million visitors to come to the region, generating about $3.3 billion of economic
07:50activity.
07:50That's all good.
07:52And that's great for the visitors coming here.
07:54But today is all about the fans, the people who live in this region, to make sure that they don't
07:58feel overlooked by this process.
08:00And so the diehard fans have been waiting a long time.
08:03And the real soccer aficionados who have been little kids who grew up playing soccer probably never imagined that this
08:10event would be coming to their hometown.
08:12So this is something we want to celebrate, remind them that there is no greater sports community in the world
08:17than this region.
08:18We have championship teams across the board.
08:20So we are intense about our teams and our sports.
08:23That's not an understatement here as well.
08:26But also, I come from a world of sports.
08:30Not that I played.
08:31It wasn't what women of my generation did very much.
08:34But we certainly were very good spectators.
08:35My own father was on a national Gaelic football team.
08:39And so he knows the rough and tumble.
08:41I spent my childhood watching Dad play as a little girl sitting on Sunday afternoons at the Irish Center in
08:47Buffalo.
08:47But he was on a team of people from Chicago, Boston, New York, and abroad.
08:52And he was supposed to play in a championship game over in Ireland.
08:55He was selected to be on that team.
08:57And something happened where he couldn't go.
08:59I was born that year.
09:01So Dad missed his big, big opportunity.
09:03But I think he's forgiven me since then.
09:05But there's no better place on this planet than to be watching the World Cup than here in New York
09:11City.
09:12Because we have every, every, every community around the globe represented.
09:15Think about the Ecuadorian community in Jackson Heights.
09:18What this means to them.
09:20The Sangalese community in Harlem.
09:22The Haitian community in Flatbush.
09:23This is everything to them.
09:25It's going to lift them out of their day-to-day experiences.
09:28And transport them to a place of unity and excitement shared by millions across, billions across the globe.
09:34So I want to say, New York isn't just hosting the World Cup.
09:38New York is the World Cup.
09:40That's a broad statement, but I'm going to stand behind that.
09:43I'm sure the mayor agrees as well.
09:44This is the place.
09:45So this Met Stadium may hold 80,000 people, but this moment belongs to millions of New Yorkers.
09:51And how we take advantage of this once-in-a-generation opportunity.
09:54So I'm proud that, as you announced here today, that there's communities, five boroughs.
10:00We'll be all experiencing free FanFest opportunities.
10:03Five boroughs, five events, one New York, and other days to participate.
10:09But also, New York State, we want to make sure that we're offering this as well.
10:13June 12th, beginning June 12th and beyond at Stony Brook University.
10:17Free, large-scale viewing events.
10:19And June 19th at Canisco Dam Plaza in Westchester County.
10:23That's just getting started.
10:24We also created a World Cup one-day permit.
10:27Cutting the red tape so bars and restaurants across the state can host outdoor watch parties
10:33and fan activations throughout the tournament.
10:36And we're extending the hours.
10:37This is important.
10:38It's one of the most popular things I ever do is when I extend bar areas or hours for our
10:43fans.
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