Manchester City, reigning champions of English soccer’s top-tier Premier League, have announced Chinese dairy giant Yili Group as the club's latest regional partner in Asia.
Yili Group products sold in China and across South Asia will now be emblazoned with Manchester City club branding as well as images and profiles of some of its players.
The two partners will also collaborate to activate around the partnership through advertising campaigns and curated content for their respective digital platforms.
On the logic behind the deal David Chang, chief executive officer of the Chinese arm of Manchester City’s City Football Group owners, stated: “Yili Group are an established and well-respected brand, with a large consumer base in the region and beyond and we look forward to working with them as we continue to grow our fanbase across China and Southeast Asia.”
Yili Group vice president Xu Ke added: “We look forward to cooperating with Manchester City Football Club in brand promotion, event marketing, fan activities, and other areas, and jointly helping the coordinated development of global sports and health.”
Late last month, the Manchester club unveiled a global deal with online betting and gaming platform Betway.
Elsewhere in the Premier League, Leicester City has announced trading platform and foreign exchange broker LiteFinance as its latest official partner as a part of the club’s return to English soccer’s top flight.
As official trading partner of the club, LiteFinance will gain in-stadium branding placement at Leicester’s 32,261-capacity King Power Stadium, on LED pitch-side hoardings during games as well as on pre/post-match interview backdrops.
LiteFinance will also have an advertising presence on Leicester City’s social media and digital channels.
The broker operates in 29 languages globally, with Leicester City commercial director stating that the partnership will help to “elevate the club's presence on the international stage in unique ways."
Leicester City spent a year in the second-tier Championship last season following relegation in 2022-23, but were then promoted back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
