January 14 – Asia is proving fertile ground for the Manchester clubs from the English Premier League. City have broken into China with local lottery provider DJI Holdings, while United have announced the second day of the club’s UNITED: LIVE fan party will take place in Jakarta, Indonesia January 31.
Manchester City FC’s partnership with DJI Holdings plc (DJI) will give Chinese lottery players access to exclusive club content designed to enrich the sports lottery playing experience and enable players “to make informed decisions when playing the Sports Lottery”.
Chinese lottery players will have the opportunity to win ‘money can’t buy’ offers, including flights to Manchester for matches and access to private club events.
China offers a huge opportunity for City in a market where football has waned but is coming back with strong Chinese club performances in the Asian Champions League and increased expectations of the national team. As football grows in-country City will similarly be hoping to ride on its back and increase its commercial footprint across the region.
Tom Glick, Chief Business Officer for Manchester City, said: “We are extremely excited about our partnership with DJI. China is a huge and growing consumer market. DJI is a pioneer in providing exclusive and unique content and games for its players in China… We want to work with partners, like DJI, who are established and well-connected in their market, but also looking for innovative ways to activate our partnership. We believe this will be an excellent fit for both of our brands.”
While the blue side of Manchester is focused on lotteries in China, the red side of United is rolling out its United: LIVE concept in Jakarta with a one-day festival featuring live music acts and Manchester United Soccer Schools coaching sessions.
The day will build towards a live screening of the Manchester United vs Leicester City match and club legends, Denis Irwin and Louis Saha will be on hand. Local bands will perform as well there being a screening of club documentary The Greatest Story Ever Told – a biopic of the Club’s illustrious history.
Manchester United Group Managing Director, Richard Arnold said: “We have around 54.5 million followers in Indonesia, some of who are some of our most passionate fans. We had a great response to last year’s #IAMUNITED event in Jakarta, which prompted us to return. United: LIVE is the club’s way of thanking our fans for their support, as well as giving our family of commercial partners the opportunity to engage and entertain them.”
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