Tim Palmer ITV will kick off the biggest marketing bonanza of 2002 when it unveils its full schedules for next year's World Cup. The announcement is set for the first days of January and will reveal when match highlights are planned during evening primetime TV. These could be more important to the TV companies than the live matches which ­ because of the time difference between the UK and the Far East ­ will be shown between 6am and noon. ITV and the BBC have together paid £160m for the UK rights to show the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and they are predicting that 36.5 million UK residents will watch at least one match during the tournament. The major brewers are looking at the potential of other media, aware that many people will not be able to watch the matches live and will be trying to catch up with the latest events. Scottish Courage marketing director Brian Sharp predicted radio stations would do well, while Guinness is looking at ways of using the internet and mobile phone technology. Guinness marketing manager Michael Row said he did not believe the early morning kick- offs would be a huge problem. "There is plenty of opportunities to use other media and we can create integrated activities with the trade. We haven't decided which route we will take. "It will be an enormous 28-day event for the male drinking population and it will be a retail bonanza which will go well beyond the match times." Sharp added that, although the timing of the matches could reduce their impact on beer volumes, it was likely that many of the big beer drinkers who would have gone to the event itself will be staying at home to drink and watch it on TV. Meanwhile, the good news for England fans this week was that FIFA has moved the time of its first game against Sweden on June 2. It will now be shown at 10.30am in the UK, instead of 6.30am. The World Cup runs from May 31 to June 30. {{DRINKS }}