Manchester City FC Archives

This article contains information regarding the organisations enjoying a strong branding presence across the physical and digital assets of the men’s and/or women‘s teams of Manchester City Football Club (MCFC) as their sponsors and partners for the 2024-25 season.

Also read: Premier League 2024/25 Sponsors

GLOBAL PARTNERS

Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways, the Abu Dhabi-headquartered UAE flag carrier, became the principal sponsor of Man City in 2011, acquiring not only the front space of the club’s shirts but also the right for the name of their stadium; what was then called the City of Manchester Stadium came to eponymously be called the Etihad.

The finances of the Etihad deal have always been under major scrutiny. In 2020, the City owners faced an infamous legal battle against UEFA, who had accused them of illegally putting money into the club’s coffers, with their fingers pointing to Etihad as one of those sponsorships. While City manage to swat away the allegations, the Etihad deal remains shrouded in controversy, with details regarding the length of contract and annual revenue generation of the current deal between the two parties remaining undisclosed.

In February 2023, the Premier League released a statement via which it brought against Man City several charges of breaches of its financial rules between 2009 and 2018. At the time of writing, the matter remains open and unresolved.

In April 2024, Man City launched joint community projects in India as part of their joint initiative with Etihad Airways. The project has launched in three cities from the airline’s network: New Delhi, Kolkata, and Bengaluru, with more locations to follow during the 2024/25 season.

Puma

Man City ended their six-year association with Nike and signed German sportswear giant Puma as their official kit supplier in February 2019, with the deal kicking off with the 2019/20 season.

The deal is reportedly worth £650 million over ten years and also covers Man City’s sister clubs in Australia (Melbourne City FC), Spain (Girona FC), Uruguay (Montevideo City Torque), and China (Sichuan Jiuniu FC).

In August 2022, Puma unveiled Man City’s third kit for the 2022/23 season on the Land of Games experience developed by game creation system Roblox, thereby taking their Man City partnership “into the metaverse”.

OKX

The Valletta, Malta-headquartered crypto spot and derivatives trading exchange was announced as the club’s Official Cryptocurrency Exchange Partner in March 2022 in a deal covering the club’s men’s, women’s, and esports sides.

OKX served as the principal front-of-training-shirt sponsor for the MCFC men’s and women’s first teams during the 2022/23 season.

In June 2023, OKX was announced as the Official Sleeve Partner of the club as part of a multi-year agreement. The deal sees OKX serve as the matchday shirt sleeve sponsor to both the senior men’s and women’s teams of the club, with its logo also featuring “on the left sleeve of the first team training kits”.

Asahi Super Dry

Asahi Super Dry, a beer offering of Japanese beverage and food company Asahi Food Holdings, was announced as the Official Beer Partner of Man City in August 2022. The partnership also included the following City Football Group (CFG)—the holding company owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group that looks after the football administration of MCFC and their sister clubs around the world—teams: Melbourne City FC, Yokohama F Marinos, and Sichuan Juiniu FC.

The partnership was kicked off by former Man City players Shaun Wright-Phillips and Shaun Goater. Apart from branding rights, the deal has also entailed collaboration with Man City over fan engagement activities like giveaways and competitions since the start of the 2022/23 season. Asahi Super Dry is also poured inside the Etihad Stadium, whose hospitality facility has also been renamed to the Asahi Super Dry Tunnel Club as part of the agreement between CFG and Asahi.

In July 2023, Asahi’s non-alcoholic offering, the Asahi Super Dry 0.0%, was announced as the official front-of-training-shirt sponsor of the Man City men’s and women’s first teams for the 2023/24 season.

In January 2024, Man City players were seen wearing pre-game and training apparel which, while featuring the “Asahi 0.0” branding, did not have the words “Super Dry” on them that were previously part of the branding agreement. It was later revealed that UK-based clothing brand Superdry had made a High Court trademark infringement claim against the club’s usage of the “Super Dry” branding and were seeking financial reparations for the same. (This is an ongoing matter.)

Nissan

The Yokohama-headquartered Japanese automobile manufacturer has been Man City’s Official Automotive Sponsor since July 2014.

The deal has granted Nissan in-ground branding at the Etihad and exclusive fan engagement opportunities.

The two parties extended their deal in July 2019 to also include the CFG clubs in the US (New York City FC) and Australia (Melbourne City FC). The two again renewed their deal in November 2021 to include the CFG clubs from Spain (Girona FC) and China (Sichuan Jiuniu FC). Pep Guardiola, the Man City men’s first team manager, was also signed on to continue as an official ambassador for Nissan, a role he first took up in 2019.

In December 2023, MCFC’s official charity arm, City in the Community, announced Nissan as its Official Equality Diversity and Inclusion Partner. As part of the deal, the Japanese automaker has pleaded to support all of the charity’s disability and LGBTQ+ projects until 2025.

e& (formerly Etisalat)

Formerly known as Etisalat, Abu Dhabi-headquartered telecom company e& has been Man City’s telecommunications partner since November 2009 for the countries it operates in.

In February 2020, e& also became the official sleeve sponsor for the club’s esports team. An extension deal was signed in September 2022 with City Football Schools (CFS) to support the Talented Player Programme (TPP).

Experience Abu Dhabi

Man City struck a sponsorship deal with the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority back in May 2010, roping it in as their official destination partner.

The deal was put in place by the club’s Emirati owners with an aim to market the UAE as a prime tourism and business destination.

Midea

The Beijiao-based Chinese home appliance giant first signed a global partnership agreement with MCFC in January 2020. This deal was expanded in January 2021 to also include Man City’s senior women’s team and New York City FC.

The two parties last announced a renewal of their partnership in May 2023. The renewed agreement, which covers both the MCFC men’s and women’s teams as well as City in the Community, thus entered its fourth term.

Apart from branding rights, the deal sees Midea develop digital campaigns with the club across their social media channels.

NEXEN TIRE

Partners since 2015, NEXEN TIRE and Man City made history in March 2017 when the Yangsan-based South Korean tyre manufacturer became the first-ever sleeve sponsor of a Premier League club.

Over the course of the partnership, the two parties have engaged in digital content collaborations, while also promoting football on a grassroots level.

The two renewed their partnership ahead of the 2020/21 season to also include the MCFC women’s and esports teams. Another renewal was announced in August 2022 to cover the 2022/23 season.

In May 2023, the two parties announced another multi-year renewal of their partnership. NEXEN TIRE also announced that, with this renewal, its logo would no longer feature on the Man City kit after the end of the 2022/23 season, with the company choosing to focus on its “We Got You” brand identity, “focusing more on digital activations, creative content and increased localisation for priority markets.”

EA Sports

EA Sports has been a long-time Official Gaming Partner of Man City. Since September 2019, it has served as the Official Gaming Partner to all CFG clubs that feature in the annual release of its football simulation game series FIFA (rebranded to EA Sports FC ahead of its 2023 instalment).

The deal sees EA Sports produce exclusive content for the clubs’ social media channels as well as exclusive club-themed EA Sports FC packages. EA Sports’ deal with the Premier League sees the company hold exclusive rights to feature licensed Man City assets, which includes real-life likeness of their players, kits, and stadiums, in its annual EA Sports FC release.

Emirates Palace

The Abu Dhabi-based luxury hotel was announced as Man City’s Official Luxury Hotel Partner in January 2022.

In the past, Emirates Palace has hosted Man City’s men’s first team for warm-weather training sessions, with City Football Schools currently using the hotel’s facilities for “educational and community sessions”.

As part of branding rights, Emirates Palace features most prominently on the MCFC men’s team training kits, with their manager Pep Guardiola also brought in to create co-branded promotional content.

Wix

The Tel Aviv-based Israeli web development platform has been the Official Website Design & Hosting Partner for three CFG clubs—Manchester City FC, Melbourne City FC, and New York City FC—since February 2016.

Apart from branding rights, the deal also sees the two parties work on several co-branded campaigns, with Wix getting access to Man City’s roster of celebrity athletes for promotional purposes.

QNET

The Hong Kong-based multi-level marketing company has been Man City’s Official Direct Selling Partner since 2014.

The two last renewed their deal in August 2019 in a five-year agreement, which saw QNET continue to provide MCFC-led football clinics to communities around the world and engage with consumers and distributors through various club channels.

Socios.com

Man City signed a multi-year deal with cryptocurrency-based fan engagement platform Socios.com, which is powered by Gzira, Malta-based blockchain fintech provider Chiliz, in March 2021 to launch their own Fan Token.

Via Socios.com, Man City offer their fans a chance to obtain Fan Tokens ($CITY) that allow them to participate in several club-oriented activities. These Fan Tokens are limited in number and can be bought, sold, or won in an augmented reality game.

Corpay

Man City announced signing a global multi-year partnership agreement with corporate payments company Corpay in August 2024.

Following the deal, Corpay joined the MCFC sponsorship portfolio as their Official Foreign Exchange Partner. Apart from branding rights, the deal entails Copray’s Cross-Border business supporting the club through “automated payment systems and foreign exchange services”.

StairMedia Global

Man City roped in Spanish sports venue advertising firm StairMedia in October 2024.

The deal sees the two work together to create new advertising opportunities at the Etihad Stadium with the help of StairMedia’s LED tech system. The deal is aimed at maximising visibility for advertisements and all broadcast cameras to capture and transmit photographs during the matches and other events.

Unilever

Man City signed a multi-year global sponsorship agreement with Unilever-owned anti-perspirant brand Rexona in August 2018. In 2020, the two parties expanded their agreement to also cover the club’s senior women’s team.

As per the deal, Unilever benefits from the partnership by getting to promote Sure (Rexona’s UK trade name) in the British market with MCFC-themed packaging. Its products are also available for sale at the Etihad.

Unilever’s deal with Man City also extends to their American sister club New York City FC, which Unilever leverages to promote Degree (Rexona’s US trade name) in the US market with NYCFC-themed packaging.

The two parties last renewed their partnership in October 2023 as part of a new multi-year agreement. It was also confirmed at the same time that Man City forward Julián Álvarez would continue on as a Unilever brand ambassador, which would see him integrated into brand activations worldwide, particularly the Argentinian market.

Aldar Properties

The Abu Dhabi-headquartered real estate company was announced as Man City’s Official Real Estate Partner in January 2022.

The deal entails Aldar leveraging the club’s global audience base to promote select projects, with the two parties also collaborating on “development projects within the region in the realms of real estate, retail and football education”. Additionally, the two parties also collaborate over “exclusive events and campaigns”.

Axi

The Sydney-headquartered online trading company became Man City’s Official Online Trading Partner in September 2020 on a multi-year deal.

The deal is focused on creating brand awareness for Axi, previously known as “AxiTrader”, via branding across Man City assets, digital co-branded content on the club website, and offerings to fans in the form of exclusive experience opportunities.

In March 2023, Axi and MCFC renewed their partnership, with the renewal also including sponsorship of Man City Women.

JNC

Chinese liquor manufacturer JNC has been Man City’s official baijiu partner since May 2019.

Apart from branding rights, the deal also sees the two collaborating over several consumer and marketing campaigns.

Xylem

Xylem, a Rye Brook, New York-based American water tech provider, has been Man City’s official water technology partner since July 2018, a deal also extended to the club’s women’s team and sister club New York City FC.

Through the partnership, Xylem aims to raise awareness about the global water challenges and work with the club to improve access to clean water in global communities.

CFG and Xylem renewed their partnership in May 2022, with another club of the former, Mumbai CIty FC of India, added to the agreement.

Sony

The Minato, Tokyo-headquartered Japanese conglomerate was announced as the club’s official virtual fan engagement partner in November 2021.

Via a proof of concept (PoC), the deal entails collaboration between the two parties to develop cutting-edge digital fan engagement solutions for the club.

As part of the deal, the two are to work on a global online community—a metaverse—project featuring a virtual recreation of the Etihad Stadium, where the fans could interact with the club and with each other. This project was officially unveiled in January 2023.

Gatorade

Gatorade has been Man City’s Official Sports Nutrition Partner since November 2017, a deal the two extended in March 2019 to include the club’s women’s team as well.

As per the deal, Gatorade gets in-ground branding at the Etihad as well as bespoke dugout branding for the women’s team’s Women’s Super League matches at the Joie Stadium (part of the Etihad Campus that serves as home ground to Man City Women). Man City players and staff are also provided Gatorade products and “cutting-edge science” through the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI).

In August 2022, Gatorade signed a new multi-year extension deal that is set to run until the end of the 2024/25 season.

Joie

Baby products manufacturer Joie was announced as the Official Family Partner of the Man City senior women’s team in March 2023.

The deal sees Joie serve as the back-of-matchday-shorts sponsor to Man City Women. Fan engagement activities and bespoke content production featuring team players are also part of the agreement.

In September 2023, Joie was granted naming rights to the home ground of Man City Women, the Academy Stadium. Since then, the ground is known as the “Joie Stadium”.

Acronis

The Schaffhausen-based Swiss cloud software company has been the Official Data Backup and Storage Partner of MCFC since November 2018.

As per the deal, Acronis assists Man City in managing and safeguarding their data, while also providing providing metrics ranging from player performances to business operations.

The two parties last renewed their partnership in August 2022.

Qualtrics

Co-headquartered across Seattle, Washington, and Provo, Utah, in the US, experience management (XM) company Qualtrics was announced as the club’s Official Experience Management Software Partner in October 2021.

Apart from branding rights, the deal sees Man City employ Qualtrics’ XM software to listen to fan feedback so as to be able to enhance the experience for their fanbase both locally and globally. The deal also entails co-branded activations “across wider areas” of the club.

The two parties announced an official extension of their partnership in February 2024.

WeWork

The New York-headquartered coworking space provider signed a deal with CFG in September 2021, becoming the Official Workplace Partner of Manchester City FC and an Official Partner of New York City FC.

Apart from branding rights, the deal entails WeWork providing Man City employees in the UK and Singapore with “inspiring and collaborative workspace, whenever they need it”, with employees around the world also provided “additional flexible space at WeWork locations across the world”.

As for NYCFC, their employees are provided WeWork All Access passes as part of the deal, allowing them to work from any WeWork location across the world.

The Fold

The London-based British womenswear brand was announced as the Official Formalwear Partner of Man City Women in November 2022.

Apart from branding rights, the deal entails The Fold providing bespoke clothing to the Man City Women players.

In May 2023, The Fold collaborated with Manchester City to launch a new Fold series, “Preparation is Everything”. The campaign aims to empower women from different walks of life and help them prepare for success. The line-up for this series featured MCFC players Alex Greenwood, Deyna Castellanos, and Laura Coombs.

JinkoSolar

The Shanghai-headquartered Chinese solar module manufacturer was announced as Man City’s Official Solar Energy Partner in June 2024.

Apart from branding rights, the multi-year deal entails the two parties working together to engage MCFC fans globally and promote the use of renewable energy via JinkoSolar’s products, with JinkoSolar also “support[ing] the club’s plans to make its training facility, the City Football Academy, one of the largest producers of renewable energy in world football.”

Quidd

A global digital collectible marketplace, Quidd announced a multi-year deal with City in April 2024.

Quidd kicked off the partnership by “releasing a range of special edition digital collectibles which will allow Cityzens the ability to collect and benefit from Manchester City themed digital products.”

Apart from branding rights, the partnership also entails Quidd offering the City fanbase exclusive real-life rewards, which include “official Manchester City merchandise, hospitality tickets and money-can’t-buy experiences, including an exclusive opportunity to watch a first team training session at the City Football Academy.”

CP Company

Italian sportswear brand CP Company secured a multi-year partnership with the Man City men’s first team, becoming in the process their Official Style Fashionwear partner for the 2024/25 season.

As per its partnership with Man City, CP is to design a line that includes a customised version of its jackets with co-branded features and the signature blue tones of CP Company and Man City.

REGIONAL PARTNERS

Kellogg’s

The Chicago, Illinois-headquartered food products manufacturer was announced as the Official Breakfast Cereals partner of the Man City men’s and women’s first teams in December 2023.

The deal entails matchday activations for Kellogg’s at the two teams’ respective home grounds as well as branding rights across their digital and physical assets.

ABeam Consulting

The Tokyo-based management consulting firm was announced as Man City’s Official Management Consulting Services Partner in Japan in August 2021.

The deal entails the two parties working together to increase Man City’s customer base across Japan and the southeast Pacific market.

First Abu Dhabi Bank

UAE-based First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) is the club’s Official Affinity Credit Card Bank Partner.

As part of the deal, the bank launched first-ever Manchester City Credit Card in the UAE, offering its customers several club-specific benefits through it.

Healthpoint

Abu Dhabi-based hospital Healthpoint has been the club’s regional healthcare partner since November 2014.

As per the deal, the Man City medical staff hosts seminars on best training practices in sports medicine and offer internship opportunities to Healthpoint sports medicine professionals.

The two parties last signed an extension agreement in August 2021.

Noon.com

Based in Dubai, Noon.com is a digital marketplace dedicated to local businesses in the Middle East. It was announced as Man City’s Official Online Marketplace Partner in the Middle East in April 2021.

Apart from branding rights, the partnership is aimed at increasing Man City’s fan engagement in the Middle East.

Yili Group

Man City announced a multi-year partnership with Asian dairy producer Yili Group in August 2024, roping it in as their Official Dairy Partner.

The deal entails Man City’s branding featuring across Yili products in the Chinese and southeast Asian markets. The two parties also work together on content campaigns focused on the Asian region.

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