Manchester United, the world’s richest football club, has launched a roadshow in Southeast Asia to find new corporate sponsors and strengthen its fan base, officials said on Thursday.
The club’s commercial director, Andy Anson, met executives from electronics companies, airlines and a telecommunications firm founded by the Thai prime minister, during the show’s stop in Bangkok.
”The club is looking for new general Asian sponsors as Manchester United has a strong fan base in Southeast Asia,” according to an official from the public relations company hired by the club.
”It will be a two-sided benefit — sponsors receive branding while the club broadens its exposure in Asia.”
After Bangkok the roadshow will head to Malaysia. Last year team executives visited China and Japan.
The tour comes as the club confirmed on Monday it had received a preliminary takeover approach, following reports that an American sports tycoon was plotting a £650 bid to seize control.
The 126-year-old club, home to such star players as wonderboy Wayne Rooney and Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, is a commercial powerhouse, enjoying huge sponsorship deals with Nike and Vodafone.
It earns millions of pounds per year from merchandise, putting its name to financial products — even mortgages — as well as from its matches being beamed to televisions around the globe.
Earlier this year Thaksin launched a bid to buy a 30 percent stake in rival English club Liverpool but it collapsed amid criticisms of using public money to pay for it. A Thai business consortium has taken over the negotiations. – Sapa-AFP