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June 30, 2023 - Manchester City and OKX, one of the leading crypto exchanges by trading volume and a leading Web3 technology company, today announced OKX as the Club's Official Sleeve Partner in a new multi-year agreement.
As part of the expanded deal, the OKX brand will feature on the left sleeve of both the men's and women's first team playing kits and will retain its position on the left sleeve of the first team training kits, in addition to appearing across further digital and physical club assets.
OKX's partnership with Manchester City began in March 2022, first expanding in July 2022 to become the Club's Official Training Kit Partner for the 2022/23 season. To date, the partnership has helped introduce the brand to millions of football fans around the world through innovative Web3 experiences like the OKX Collective, through which fans can get up-close-and-personal with Manchester City players and OKX Ambassadors such as Jack Grealish and Alex Greenwood.
The partnership expansion was unveiled at an exclusive reveal at the Etihad Stadium featuring City Football Group Chief Executive Officer Ferran Soriano and OKX Global Chief Marketing Officer Haider Rafique. As part of the event, the sleeve was unveiled in a 'virtual reveal' with a hero video featuring player avatars. Manchester City legend Gaël Clichy was also in attendance for a media Q&A.
In a session moderated by Manchester City presenter Natalie Pike, Rafique and Soriano spoke about OKX's vision of reaching City fans around the world through the partnership. They also discussed the role Web3 technology can play in fan engagement, especially when it comes to designing engaging, immersive experiences for fans.
Ferran Soriano, Chief Executive Officer at City Football Group, commented, "We are very proud to have OKX represented on the sleeve of the Manchester City shirt. Both OKX and Manchester City are leading companies driven by a passion for innovation. We have already seen great Web3 experiences designed by OKX for Manchester City's global fan base and there will be many more to come. This is a very exciting partnership."
Haider Rafique, CMO at OKX, commented, "The journey with the Man City team has been incredible. 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.
The sleeve partnership brings us closer to City fans across the globe, and we look forward to collaborating to create unique, exciting and innovative engagements through Web3 technology. As the Club's Official Cryptocurrency Exchange Partner, fans can expect amazing things every time they interact with OKX."
