Australia-headquartered FX/CFDs broker, Axi (previously AxiTrader) announced the extension of its sports partnership with the top English football club, Manchester City FC. It has also expanded its sponsorship rights to include Manchester City women's team.

Axi Is a Sponsor of Manchester City FC

Axi originally became a sponsor of Manchester City FC in September 2020, which coincided with its branding overhaul. Though the broker highlighted that the renewed deal covers multiple years, it did not specify the period until when the deal will be effective.

"Over our three-year partnership, we've grown a great relationship with City Football Group. We've established that our businesses share a highly ambitious approach and unwavering dedication to success, so we had no hesitation in wanting to extend our partnership and see where we can take the relationship to next," said the Head of Brand and Sponsorship at Axi, Hannah Hill.

A Successful Sports-Sponsorship Deal

Manchester City FC is one of the top football clubs in England and Europe. It was the winner of back-to-back two English Premier League, in the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 play seasons, and also won the League and League Cup double in 2020-2021. The Abu Dhabi United Group owns the club and signed top global players to play for it.

The original deal allowed the broker to promote itself in the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City's home turf, and on the club's digital real estate. These marketing slots put the Axi brand in front of a massive sports audience. Etihad Stadium has the capacity to accommodate 53,400 fans, and the club's matches are viewed globally.

In addition, the English club has a massive social media presence: its followers on Instagram surpassed 40.7 million, along with another 45.7 million followers on its Facebook page. Further, 15.6 million accounts follow its official Twitter account.

"From a commercial perspective, the relationship has been extremely successful. Our alignment on a global scale with Manchester City's brand and global fanbase has elevated our position in the marketplace," said Louis Cooper, the Chief Commercial Officer at Axi.

The extension of the original deal to include Manchester City Women's Football Club validates its success in the last couple of years.

Rise of Women's Sports Sponsorship

Though women's football is not as popular as men's, it is growing tremendously. In 2020, 3.4 million women and girls played football in England, and the international football governing body, FIFA, aims to have 60 million players globally by 2026. Several financial services companies are now inking deals with women's sports teams.

"The global popularity of women's football has justly skyrocketed in recent years, as has women's involvement in financial markets," Cooper added.

"This new aspect of the partnership gives us a chance to help support the women's side of game and also help Axi resonate even more with female traders and investors, who are a valuable segment of our growth ambition globally. Women continue to take more control of their financial investments and it's important for Axi to be relatable as a brand to female investors around the world."

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