OKX named as sleeve sponsor for Manchester City

Manchester City football club wants to bring its global fanbase closer to the club with digital experiences

Crypto fintech OKX announced today that it will be the official sleeve partner of English Premier League football club Manchester City in a new multi-year agreement.  

The Seychelles-headquartered fintech first partnered with the football club in 2022 and was the official club training kit sponsor for the 2022/23 season. 

It will now also feature on both the men’s and women’s first team playing kits, and across further digital and physical club assets. 

Founded in 2017, OKX hopes to raise the awareness of its brand to City’s 600m fanbase around the world. 

As only 2% of that 600m is based in the UK, Man City wants OKX’s tech to bring the rest of its fans closer to the club through digital interaction. 

The OKX Collective, a web3 experience, allows fans to experience digital content from Man City players, such as a DJ set from Jack Grealish and an NFT collection from Alex Greenwood. 

The partnership expansion was unveiled at Man City’s home ground, the Etihad Stadium, featuring City football group chief executive officer Ferran Soriano and OKX global chief marketing officer Haider Rafique. 

Soriano said: “We share the same values. 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.” 

Rafique added: “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. 

Rafique continued: “AI and blockchain is digitising the world around us. Crypto is not just about speculation. It is the tech behind it. I hope this partnership extends the bigger message of blockchain around the world.” 

OKX has 50m customers and is present in more than 100 countries. It sponsors other sports brands and athletes, including the McLaren Formula 1 team, Olympian Scotty James, and F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo. 

The crypto fintech’s self-custody solutions include the Web3-compatible OKX Wallet, which allows users greater control of their assets while expanding access to a range of crypto products and services. 

Image: Manchester City/OKX 

Josh Poyser Josh Poyser is an editor at FinTech Intel. He has written about fintech for several years and appeared at FinTech Connect 2023 on the 'Unlocking Success: The Art of Fintech PR' panel.