Rakuten and Viber Launch “Rakuten Japan Open 2015”
Public Chat on Viber

Tokyo, September 8, 2015 - Rakuten, Inc. and its subsidiary Viber Media Ltd. today launched a Public Chat^*1 account for the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championship 2015 (Rakuten Japan Open 2015) on Viber Media’s free phone and messaging app, Viber, through collaboration with the Japan Tennis Association, the organizer of the tournament. Rakuten is a title sponsor of the tournament.

Viber users who follow the Rakuten Japan Open 2015 account will be able to obtain information about match schedules, the players who will be appearing in the tournament, and other related information before the tournament gets underway. During the tournament, which lasts from October 5 to October 11, users will be able to see not just the match results, but also view photos and videos of players on and off the courts, including at autograph-signing events and talk shows.

To commemorate the launch of the Public Chat account, Viber users who follow the account and enter their details into the special campaign website by September 18, will be entered into a draw to win one of five pair-seat tickets for reserved seats to watch the final of the Rakuten Japan Open 2015.  

The Rakuten Group is proactively supporting cultural activities such as sports and the arts in order to contribute to the revitalization of local regions and their economies. Viber Media is working to expand and improve its service to provide people around the world with the opportunity to enjoy communicating freely through Viber.

Rakuten and Viber Media will continue to collaborate on projects in the fields of sports and the arts to provide people with new ways of enjoying entertainment events.

Campaign Outline

Campaign title: “Win one of five reserved pair-seat tickets for the final of the Rakuten Japan Open 2015 with Viber!”
URL: https://viber.co.jp/event/rakutenopen/

Details: Users who enter into the campaign and follow the “Rakuten Japan Open 2015” Public Chat account will be put into a draw to win one of five pair-seat tickets for the final of the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championship 2015

Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championship 2015 Final
Time and date: October 11, 2015.
(Venue opens 11:30, match scheduled to start at 13:00)
Venue: Center Court, Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo

Campaign period: 10:01 on September 8 until 16:59 on September 18, 2015 

How to apply:      
For new Viber users
1. Enter mobile phone number to be registered in the Viber app into the entry form on the campaign website, and tap “Enter.”
2. Download Viber app from App Store or Google Play.
3. Enter and register mobile phone number.
4. Tap the “Follow” link in message received from Viber Media to follow the Rakuten Japan Open 2015 Public Chat account.  

For existing Viber users
1. Tap campaign website URL in message received from Viber Media or alternatively access the campaign website directly.
2. Enter mobile phone number registered with Viber into the entry form on the campaign website and tap “enter.”
3. Tap the “Follow” link in message received from Viber Media to follow the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis 2015 Public Chat account.   

Announcement of winner:
Winners will be contacted by the campaign office via Viber messages or by phone^*2 in late September.

Note: Unavoidable circumstances may mean the date or details of the draw may be altered, or the draw may be cancelled, without prior notice.
- If the entered information is insufficient, the entry is made by someone other than the named entrant, an entry is fraudulent in any way, or if an entrant has deleted the app and is uncontactable, or if an entrant fails to answer the phone when contacted, the draw-win may be revoked.
- Customers will be responsible for any internet communications costs incurred as a result of participation in this campaign.
- Customers must ensure that they fully understand the details of the campaign before entering.
- Entry is limited to persons residing in Japan with a contact address in Japan.

About the Rakuten Japan Open 2015
Title:                     Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2015
Details:                Japan’s largest international ATP World Tour 500 series accredited men’s tournament. First held in 1972, it received ATP accreditation as an international tournament in 1973.
Organizers:          Japan Tennis Association
Title sponsor:       Rakuten, Inc.
Period:                 Qualifying matches: October 3 (Saturday) and 4 (Sunday), 2015
Championship matches: October 5 (Monday) and 11 (Sunday), 2015
Venue:                 Ariake Coliseum and Ariake Tennis Forest Park courts
Website:              http://www.rakutenopen.com/

*1 Viber’s “Public Chat” function is used by celebrities, organizations, and companies working in a wide range of fields such as music and sports, to post text messages, photos, stickers, and other content to a dedicated account, which can be seen in real time by Viber users who follow the account.

*2 At the time of the draw, entrants must be registered Viber app users and must be following the Rakuten Japan Open 2015 Public Chat account. 

About Viber Media
Viber Media ( www.viber.com ) is a leading mobile phone message and VoIP service company, and is a member of Rakuten Group. With Viber, users can connect with people around the world for free. With the Viber app users can send text messages, stickers, photos, videos, graffiti, location information to other Viber users for free. The app can also be used for free Push-to-Talk communication and to make free high quality phone calls. Viber Out can be used to inexpensively contact non-Viber users on any phone in the world, landline, or mobile. 600 million people (unique user IDs) currently use Viber in 193 different countries.