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Liverpool Sports Marketing Premier League

Liverpool partner with Malaysia Airlines to open up more Asian commercial opportunities

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By Tony Connelly, Sports Marketing Reporter

October 11, 2016 | 3 min read

Liverpool have formed a new sponsorship agreement with Malaysia Airlines in a deal intended to grow the club's Asian fan base and promote the airlines' weekly flight between major Chinese cities and London.

Liverpool partner with Malaysia Airlines

Liverpool partner with Malaysia Airlines

Under the partnership, Malaysia Airlines will be exclusively designated as the “Official Global Airline Partner" of the Premier League club and will gain access to players and former players to be featured as ambassadors in future campaigns.

Malaysia Airlines' branding will also feature on the LED and static boards around Liverpool's Anfield stadium in addition to a number of other marketing opportunities including exposure on club's website and social platforms, co-branding opportunities in merchandising rights and customer engagement via experiential experiences, such as pitch side access.

The deal will also allow Liverpool to further increase its presence in Asia through football clinics where club international academy coaches will deliver coaching and coach education programmes both on and off the pitch.

Peter Bellew, chief executive officer of Malaysia Airlines said: " Liverpool FC is one of the most followed clubs in the world, including around 100 million in South East Asia and 40 million in China, our key markets. Additionally, the partnership will go a long way in increasing awareness of Malaysia, as a tourist destination, to a huge global audience”

Liverpool's chief commercial officer, Billy Hogan, added: " Liverpool and Malaysia have always shared a special passion for football; when we visited Malaysia on our pre-season tour in 2011 and 2015, the reception was incredible. The partnership is a reflection of this bond and we are very much looking forward to a bright future working with Malaysia Airlines.”

The new partnership follows a number of similar deals made by Premier League clubs who have partnered with Asian airlines, such as Manchester City's deal with Etihad Airways and Arsenal's partnership with Emirates, as a means of growing fan bases in the region and opening up more sponsorship opportunities.

Liverpool have been among the most active football clubs in striking sponsorship agreements with Asian brands such as Konami for its PES 2017 deal and an e-commerce deal withJD.com.

To mark the initiation of the sponsorship agreement, Malaysia Airlines have announced a sale on flights from Kuala Lumpur to London from now until 17 October, for travel from 13 October 2016 to 31 March 2017.

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