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OKX Strengthens Partnership with Manchester City Football Club

Web3 & Enterprise·July 01, 2023, 5:51 AM

Seychelles-based crypto exchange OKX has announced the expansion of its sponsorship deal with Manchester City Football Club, the treble-winning English Premier League soccer champions.

The announcement was made through a virtual reveal video featuring player avatars, presented at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium. News of the deal was also posted on the English club’s website on Friday.

While the valuation of the deal remains undisclosed, the collaboration signifies a significant milestone for both parties. The new agreement, which spans multiple years, establishes OKX as the official sleeve partner on both the men’s and women’s first-team playing kits.

Photo by Giero Saaski on Unsplash

 

Extended partnership

Under this extended partnership, the OKX logo will be prominently displayed on the sleeves of Manchester City’s playing kits, solidifying its position as a key sponsor. Additionally, OKX will retain its presence on the club’s training kit sleeve.

City Football Group, the holding company that owns Manchester City and other soccer teams like New York City FC and Melbourne City FC, oversees the management and operations of the club.

OKX initially became Manchester City’s official cryptocurrency exchange partner in March 2022. Subsequently, in July of the same year, the exchange secured a sponsorship deal to feature its logo on the front of the club’s training kit throughout the 2022/2023 season. At the time, the agreement was reported to be valued at over $12 million.

 

OKX Collective

In February, OKX launched the “OKX Collective” alongside Manchester City players Jack Grealish, Rúben Dias, Ilkay Gündoğan, and Alex Greenwood. This immersive metaverse fan experience offered exclusive content and rewards, allowing fans to engage with the club in a unique way.

OKX’s CMO Haider Rafique expressed satisfaction with the evolving partnership, stating: “Manchester City was our first official global brand partnership, and in just a year and a half, we have come a long way. We always intended to integrate with the sport and help the club lead on leaning into Web3. Fast forward fifteen months, we now have a metaverse, an NFT initiative, and a number of other new projects that we are excited about.”

 

Additional sports sponsorships

Besides Manchester City, OKX has also established partnerships with other prominent sports brands and athletes, including McLaren Formula 1, the Tribeca Festival, Olympian Scotty James, and F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo.

While OKX’s partnership with Manchester City strengthens its global fan base, it’s worth noting that the sale of crypto derivatives, a product offered by OKX, was effectively banned by the UK’s financial regulator in January 2021. Consequently, OKX and other crypto exchanges have refrained from advertising such services in the country.

As the Premier League clubs have collectively agreed to restrict gambling sponsorships on team shirts, there are concerns that similar restrictions may be imposed on crypto company sponsorships. However, any such developments are expected to be some years away, as the changes regarding gambling sponsorships are scheduled to take effect in the 2026/2027 soccer season.

Marketing spend by crypto firms has sobered up quite a bit since the heady heights of the last bull run. However, OKX remains one entity which has been fairly consistent in continuing its marketing efforts regardless of market conditions.

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