Puma’s New Deal With Manchester City Is Worth a Reported $860 Million
Puma has reached a long-term deal with Manchester City that’s reportedly worth more than $860 million. The brand announced the partnership Thursday.
Beginning in July 2019, Puma will outfit the English Premier League team’s players as well as those of four sister clubs located in Uruguay, Spain, Argentina and China. Manchester’s uniforms had previously come from Nike.
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While the German sportswear giant declined to share terms of the deal, multiple outlets are reporting the companies reached an $860 million, 10-year contract. Puma CEO Bjørn Gulden did admit that the deal was the “largest that we have ever done — both in scope and ambition” in a release.
“We look forward to building the most innovative partnership in football by redefining the sports partnership model both on and off the pitch,” Gulden explained of plans for the new City Football Group partnership. “We want to maximize on-field performance as well as football culture, in areas such as music, gaming and fashion to connect and inspire the fanbase of each team.”
The agreement also marks a win for Puma in the wake of losing one of its most high-profile soccer deals — with North London’s Arsenal — to rival Adidas in October. Adidas reportedly shelled out nearly $400 million to reach a five-year contract with the club.
Though the Puma-Manchester City deal is a big one, it is not the most expensive in soccer. Nike holds that title with its Barcelona deal, while Manchester United and Adidas take the second spot.
“Our relationship with Puma, covering five City Football Group clubs across four continents, will reset the model for sports partnerships on a truly global scale whilst being locally relevant and authentic for fans around the world,” said City Football Group CEO Ferran Soriano. “Puma share our vision for challenging expectations, and we are looking forward to what we believe will be a ground-breaking partnership.”
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