Manchester City and Etihad Airways to launch second season of 'Global City' video series to grow international fan base
Manchester City and Etihad Airways will partner with Bigballs Media once again to create a second season of the club’s Global City video series.
The five-part series will visit Manchester City fans across the globe in destinations such as Mumbai, Seoul, Johannesburg and Los Angeles, where it will document their personal stories and connections to the club.
It builds on the success of the first season, which met fans in Manchester, New York, Melbourne, Abu Dhabi and Jakarta, and attracted over 4 million YouTube views.
Adopting the same formula as before, the second season will be delivered across Manchester City’s digital channels including YouTube, MCFC.com, Instagram and Twitter. The Premier League club’s sponsors, Etihad Airways, will also show the series on its social channels and E-Box inflight entertainment system.
Diego Gigliani, senior vice president of media and innovation at City Football Marketing, said the purpose of the Global City video series was “to put the spotlight on our fans around the world and bring their stories to life.”
He said the series has helped to “connected fans of all ages, nationalities, cultures and religions that share one thing: a deep passion for this Club. We’ve learned how they fell in love with Manchester City and seen first-hand how passionately they support the Club, even from thousands of miles away.”
Etihad Airways’ vice president of sponsorships, Patrick Pierce, said the programme was “a great demonstration of our unique partnership with Manchester City and the role we play in bringing City supporters together for amazing shared experiences.”
Tom Thirlwall, chief executive of Bigballs Media, discussed the concept of the project and said they wanted to “draw out that passion and bring the community together through digital channels. “
He added: We’re really excited to be doing this second series with the Club as it exemplifies the BigBalls media branded content capability, using the expertise developed on our own platforms, for brands and partners on their platforms.”
Global City builds on a number of proactive moves from Manchester City to grow their international fan base, especially in the emerging African markets and lucrative Asian market.