[image credit : Manchester City Esports]
English Premier League club Manchester City F.C. is continuing its commitment to esports by partnering with team organization FaZe Clan. According to the announcement, the two will work together on content and fan events in the U.S. and around the world. Deal length and financial terms were not disclosed.
FaZe and Manchester City will bring their FIFA players under one shared training facility, and release co-branded, limited-edition retail products. “We recognize that fans want to celebrate their love for football across many aspects of their lives, including fashion, music, and gaming, to create a culture that goes beyond what happens on the pitch,” said Nuria Tarre, CMO at City Football Group, the holding company of Manchester City F.C. “We are looking forward to working with FaZe Clan to provide our fans with new and immersive ways to engage with the Club.”
This is the first time a Premier League club has partnered with an esports-specific team brand. While all 20 Premier League clubs participated in this year’s inaugural ePremier League, only Manchester City F.C. and West Ham United F.C. have dedicated FIFA players that compete regularly. This mirrors the trend of English clubs only fielding soccer-related teams, unlike the rest of Europe, where clubs run squads in other sports such as basketball, handball, or table tennis.
Yesterday, City Football Group named EA Sports as its official gaming partner not only for Manchester City, but also for New York City F.C. and Melbourne City F.C. Alongside its FIFA team in the west, Manchester City F.C. also fields players in China for FIFA Online—a free-to-play version made specifically for the Asian market. Earlier this month, Intel Sports also signed on as an official partner of Manchester City, though this deal was focused on video highlights, not gaming.
