Glazers boosted as Manchester United seal another multi-million sponsorship

12 March 2010 | Posted in Sponsorship, Soccer | By Eoin Connolly

English soccer club Manchester United have signed a five-year, multi-million dollar sponsorship deal with Telekom Malaysia.

The telecommunications provider will become an official partner of the English Premier League champions within Malaysia. As part of the deal, Telekom Malaysia will provide its customers with Manchester United-related mobile and online content, and will give fans the chance to win trips to games at the team's home stadium, Old Trafford. According to well-placed sources, the total value of the deal, including media benefits, is between US$8 million and US$10 million.

Manchester United chief executive David Gill welcomed the deal as an opportunity to "speak to the millions of fans we have in Malaysia", and was pleased to build on an earlier deal which had seen Telekom Malaysia sponsor the club's tour matches in the country.

Manchester United have signed a number of similar deals, including a partnership with telecommunications company Globacom in Africa.

"The size of our fan base in Malaysia, and the affection they have for our club, is phenomenal," said Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. "The statistic that almost 25 per cent of the Malaysian population support Manchester United is staggering, quite incredible. I know this will be a fantastic partnership because we share the same ambition, to be the best at what we do. We're always striving to do that here at United. We're very much alike in that respect."

Dato' Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa, group chief executive of Telekom Malaysia, also spoke enthusiastically of the similarities between the two organisations. He said: "Just like Manchester United, winning and being the best at what we're at is our business, and that is why we believe this partnership will benefit both entities. This agreement also goes to show that anything is possible when we connect, communicate, and collaborate."