Manchester City sign new deal to engage Chinese fans

Manchester City have signed up their first ever Official Lighting Partner in China after striking a new deal with PAK Lighting.

The agreement will see the firm, a supplier of indoor and outdoor lighting, become part of various initiatives targeting MCFC fans in the UK and China, including matchday and online advertising, promotional schemes and exclusive content.

To celebrate the partnership, PAK hosted a conference in the port city of Guangzhou that was attended by club ambassador and former City star Sun Jihai, PAK president Yutao Zhang and the firm’s vice president, Songhui Chen.

Damian Willoughby, VP director of partnerships APAC with City Football Marketing, part of MCFC owner City Football Group, commented: “We are delighted to be working with PAK Lighting, whose ambitious plans for further growth and development make them an exciting brand to partner with.

“They are committed to high quality activations, which will bring the partnership to life for our fans. PAK is a fantastic addition to our growing number of Chinese partners and we are looking forward to working together.”

PAK has a history of involvement in sports, bringing Olympic diving champion Xiongni on board as a brand ambassador in 2001 and sponsoring the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) for several years.

The firm also sponsored broadcasts of the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers

Discussing the deal, PAK vice president Songhui Chen called City a “globally recognised and widely respected football brand”.

He said the club’s Chinese fan base is “growing rapidly every day and interest in the Club is widespread across China”, adding: “PAK’s global sports marketing strategy, which we want to expand, requires an influential and respected partner, and Manchester City are without a doubt the ideal football club for us to work with in order to achieve this goal.”