Man City Returns To U.S. In ’17 As City Football Group Looks To Grow EPL Club’s Brand

Cracking the U.S. market has become a top priority for European football clubs, but Man City is taking a different approach than the rest. Compared to its competitors, Man City’s owner City Football Group operates four top-flight football clubs on four continents -- New York City FC (MLS), Melbourne City (A-League) and Yokohama F. Marinos (J.League). City Football Group Chief Commercial Officer Tom Glick, who is also the managing director of City Football Marketing, is the man tasked with coordinating the global operations while ensuring each club keeps its local identity. “I’m working on growing our fan bases, increasing our visibility, awareness and understanding, and driving revenue for all of our clubs and for all of the regions of the world that are important to us,” he said. “We have managing directors who have gone to each of these focus markets, and who are building and operating teams to develop and add value to the sport of soccer in those markets.”

U.S. TOUR PLANNED FOR '17: The U.S. and Chinese markets are at the top of the group's list for future growth, Glick said. Man City’s plans also include a U.S. tour next summer. The first team will return to the U.S. in '17 following this year's trip to China, where it faces cross-town rivals ManU and Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund as part of the Int’l Champions Cup tournament. Going forward, CFG will put an increased focus on building and growing the Man City brand in the U.S. after spending the last couple of years launching NYC FC together with the N.Y. Yankees, who own a minority stake in the club. “We are just beginning to add this focus, now that we have New York up and running so well,” he said. CFG intends to use its flagship EPL club to create local programs and media content targeted at U.S. football fans. It will also work on grassroots initiatives like the already existing Manchester City Americas Cup, which it hosts in partnership with Surf Cup Sports in San Diego. “We are just beginning,” Glick said. Jeff L’Hote, the founder and managing director of N.Y.-based football consulting firm LFC Int'l, expects Man City to run into some challenges in the U.S. because of its connection with NYC FC, but he says no other European team has made a bigger investment in the market than the Sky Blues. The club itself downplays those challenges, with a spokesperson telling SBD Global that NYC FC has fans of all Premier League clubs. “There is no expectation that anyone is tied to all of the teams in our group,” the spokesperson said.



ASIAN ADVANTAGE: CFG’s operations are further advanced in the Chinese market than they are in the U.S. in terms of the local operating team and existing partnerships, Glick said. Man City has been on the ground in the world’s most populous country for two years. Similar to its partnership with the Yankees, CFG has also established connections in China. China Media Capital and CITIC Capital invested $400M in the group for a stake of a little more than 13% at the end of last year. CMC has investments in a multitude of industries, including entertainment and media. The company, whose founder is Chinese media mogul Li Ruigang, last year acquired the global broadcast rights for the Chinese Super League in a five-year, $1.3B deal. CMC has also been rumored as a potential bidder for F1. The partnership with CMC could prove highly beneficial to the group, especially in a market that is notoriously difficult to enter for foreign companies. Li Ruigang, who is now a member of CFG’s board of directors, can help steer the group in the right direction in terms of media partners and potential sponsors, Glick said. “It’s important everywhere to have great partners,” he said. The Chinese government’s efforts to turn the country into a football “superpower” only aids Man City’s growth strategy in the country. Glick also reiterated CFG’s interest in investing in a Chinese club. “Certainly China is a market that’s of interest for us,” he said. “This is something that we continue to evaluate, we think it could be a natural outgrowth of what we are doing in China right now.” It is too early for an assessment on whether Man City's strategy of owning local clubs is beneficial to its global growth, L'Hote said, but there is no question about the commitment. “It’s clear that they are the most committed European club, not only to the U.S., but I think globally, now, with what they are doing in Australia, Japan and soon to be China," he said.



In Thursday's SBD Global issue, Glick talks about CFG's plans for youth development and the benefits of being in the Premier League.