North American organisation FaZe Clan has partnered with Premier League side Manchester City.
The deal has been made so both parties can “create new experiences for their fans and bring them together in unprecedented ways.”
The partnership will commence on October 6th when Manchester City takes on Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the football players wearing a co-branded jacket featuring both parties’ brands.
Lee Trink, CEO of Faze Clan discussed the partnership in a release: “This alliance with Manchester City creates a powerful opportunity to join our collective fan base and cultures on and off the field. FaZe Clan will continue to push the boundaries of gaming and esports by engaging our fans with experiences that are meaningful, memorable and surprising.”
The deal also includes a shared training facility created by FaZe Tass and Manchester City FIFA player Shellzz, limited-edition co-branded products, and content featuring competitors from both camps.
Nuria Tarre, Chief Marketing Officer at City Football Group added: “Esports is the world’s fastest growing spectator sport and this collaboration with FaZe Clan marks the start of an exciting new chapter in Manchester City’s esports journey. 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. We are looking forward to working with FaZe Clan to provide our fans with new and immersive ways to engage with the Club.”
Manchester City signed a deal that made Turtle Beach its official esports and gaming headset partner in August 2018, just months prior to it partnering with Epsilon eSports for the Gfinity Elite Series.
Esports Insider says: We’ve seen quite a bit of crossover between leaders in esports and traditional sports before so this doesn’t come as a huge surprise, though it’s still a cool development. Not only does it help City engage younger fans but it exposes FaZe Clan to a huge audience that may well become fans once they understand what the organisation does.