TIDMBNN
BNN Technology PLC
25 April 2017
25 April 2017
BNN Technology and Manchester City expand China partnership
Further step in BNN's strategy to deliver unique mobile content
and develop large public participation programmes in football
BNN Technology (AIM: BNN), a London-listed Chinese technology,
content and services company, today announces an expanded,
multifaceted partnership with Manchester City Football Club. The
agreement significantly expands the commercial relationship
announced in January 2015 with one of Europe's most successful
clubs, focusing on developing coaching programmes, delivering
unique content, providing 'money-can't-buy' VIP experiences for
Chinese football fans and offering competitions through the Xinhua
News mobile app.
The expanded partnership is a further step in BNN's strategy to
support grassroots football in China by developing large public
participation programmes focused on enhancing playing and coaching
standards in the country. BNN will work with City to manage a new
programme of four football clinics in China, involving up to 144
players of 18 years old and over.
The four clinics for 2017, representing 48 hours of dedicated
coaching time with three official coaches from the Club's City
Football Schools programme, have been confirmed to take place
during May in Beijing and Hangzhou. A further football clinic for
32 players will take place over three days in June at City's world
class, state-of-the-art training complex in Manchester, where two
coaches will lead a total of 18 hours of training.
Players may win places at the clinics through a free-to-enter
competition hosted on BNN's Manchester City microsite within the
Xinhua News App. The competition is open to all, regardless of
ability, and is based on a nomination process. Players may nominate
themselves or be nominated by others. The individuals with the
greatest number of votes from friends and family will be selected
to attend the clinics, with all expenses paid.
The expanded agreement also allows BNN, through its Chinese
partner NewNet, to provide a range of Club content to the Xinhua
News app, including manager interviews before games, pre-match
press conferences, weekly news bulletin videos, weekly training
footage and news articles. In addition, Chinese fans will be
offered opportunities to win, through free-to-enter prize draws and
fully paid VIP trips to watch matches at the Etihad Stadium, as
well as competitions to win exclusive merchandise such as jerseys
and signed footballs.
Manchester City has one of the largest social media followings
in China of any international football club, with more than eight
million followers on Sina Weibo, the major Chinese microblogging
website.
BNN remains committed to delivering social participation
programmes that build on the company's longstanding operations in
China and enhance the lives of the country's citizens.
Darren Mercer, Chief Executive of BNN Technology, said:
"I am delighted that we are expanding our relationship with
Manchester City, one of Europe's top clubs, to help BNN play a
wider role in supporting China's football ambitions while also
delivering first class content to the Xinhua News app and gaining
further high quality data to support our other sales channels.
City's expertise and input will be hugely valuable as BNN builds a
programme that will help to improve grassroots playing standards
throughout China. We firmly believe that football is a powerful
force for promoting social engagement, enriching day-to-day lives
and, in turn, strengthening the base of our consumer focused
operations."
Damian Willoughby, Senior VP of Partnerships at City Football
Group, said: Manchester City, said:
"Manchester City is delighted to grow its partnership with BNN.
They share both our commitment to playing an active role in the
development of football in China, and engaging with local fans in
an innovative way. The Club already has a strong and growing
presence in China and this partnership will help us amplify our
activity in the country even further."
For further information, please contact:
BNN Technology plc +44 (0) 1565 872990
Darren Mercer, Chief Executive
Scott Kennedy, Chief Financial
Officer
Stephen Benzikie, Communications
About the Group
BNN Technology plc is a Chinese technology, content and services
company that builds long-term partnerships to deliver China's
citizens with value-added services, content and evolving
opportunities.
Listed on AIM since 2014, the Group principally engages in
providing technology to partners to facilitate fulfilment of
payments online and on mobile apps through partnerships or
affiliate agreements with corporate and key government partners,
and developing digital content, both online and mobile. Through
Chinese partner NewNet and its partnership with Xinhuatong, BNN
facilitates mobile payments, through its technology platform, on
the Xinhua News mobile app in 12 provinces in China. The Chinese
consumer shift to 'life on mobile' is only just beginning and BNN's
platform technology enables urban and rural communities across
China to access exclusive content and pay for more services
online.
The Group employs nearly 300 professionals throughout China.
About Manchester City Football Club
Manchester City FC is an English Premier League club initially
founded in 1880 as St Mark's West Gorton. It officially became
Manchester City FC in 1894 and has since then gone onto win the
European Cup Winners' Cup, four League Championship titles,
including two Premier League titles (2012, 2014), and five FA
Cups.
Under manager Pep Guardiola, one of the most highly decorated
managers in world football, the Club plays its domestic and UEFA
Champions League home fixtures at the Etihad Stadium, a spectacular
55,000 seat arena that City have called home since 2003. Today, the
Stadium sits on the wider Etihad Campus, which also encompasses the
City Football Academy, a state-of-the-art performance training and
youth development facility located in the heart of East Manchester.
Featuring a 7,000 capacity Academy Stadium, the City Football
Academy is also where Manchester City Women's Football Club and the
Elite Development Squad train on a daily basis and play their
competitive home games.
For more information, please visit www.mancity.com
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
NRAPGUQCCUPMUAA
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 25, 2017 02:01 ET (06:01 GMT)
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