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Tag: Manchester United

  • Kohler partners Manchester United for shirt branding

    Kohler partners Manchester United for shirt branding

    MUMBAI: Kohler, a lifestyle brand based in Wisconsin USA, has recently agreed to a global partnership with Manchester United. The brand logo will feature on the sleeve of the most iconic and best-selling club shirt, for both the men’s and women’s teams.

    Kohler Co. is a leader in the design and innovation of kitchen and bath products and one of the largest manufacturers of power systems in the world. Founded in 1873, the two organisations have been in existence for over 140 years, sharing a long history steeped in tradition, excellence and innovation, as well as a common vision to make a positive impact on the world.

    Manchester United and Kohler will be celebrating the partnership with United fans around the world on 19 July when the new 2018/19 home shirt, to be unveiled next week, is worn for the first time by the men’s team in the opening fixture of its Tour 2018 against Club America in Phoenix, Arizona.  

    Manchester United’s Group managing director, Richard Arnold said, “It is a pleasure to welcome Kohler to the Manchester United family as a principal partner and our first shirt sleeve sponsor for both the men’s and women’s teams. Our shirt is much more than what we wear, it embodies the passion of our fans and their allegiance to the club.”  

    “Kohler is known around the world not only for its cutting-edge design and luxury products but also a genuine commitment to stewardship and sustainability and is an exciting addition to our family of commercial partners,” he added.   

    Commenting on the same Kohler Co president and CEO David Kohler says, “Our partnership with Manchester United provides new opportunities to showcase the quality of Kohler products and services with passionate fans of the most far-reaching and revered sports team on the planet. We are excited to help build our global brand among people who align themselves and their lifestyles, with leading edge innovation and a desire to make the world a better place.”

    “An essential component of the relationship is our support of the new professional women’s team, and we look forward to their debut and our ongoing support. Manchester United embodies sustained excellence in everything they do and our shared values are a perfect match as we expand our fast-growing international presence into new regions with purpose and a meaningful presence.”  

    The partnership also includes joint participation on game day activities, innovative improvements to club facilities, global sustainability and social responsibility projects and other partner collaborations with Manchester United fans and Kohler customers and associates.

  • DHL renews partnership with Hero ISL

    DHL renews partnership with Hero ISL

    MUMBAI: In its third year, international express service provider, DHL, today announced the renewal of its partnership with the Hero Indian Super League (ISL). It will continue as associate sponsor.

    DHL is the official match ball partner for all games. It will also award the ‘DHL Winning Pass’ to the player with the highest number of assists in each game, as well as for the entire season.

    Additionally, it will unveil an exciting 360 degree interactive brand campaign specifically created for this season which has the potential to be seen by 215 million television viewers and 1.5 million in-stadia spectators.

    DHL Express India country manager RS Subramanian said, “ISL has grown to be an integral part of the country’s sporting calendar. With our shared passion for football, at DHL, we see this partnership getting stronger each year. The increase in the number of games this season gives us greater opportunity to engage with our audiences on and off-ground for an even longer period of time.”

    Globally, DHL supports some of the world’s biggest football clubs and tournaments such as Manchester United, FC Bayern Munich and Copa Libertadores. The sponsorship of ISL is in alignment with the company’s core values of team spirit and having a can-do attitude.

    This season, ISL has grown to 95 matches from last year’s 65, and will be played over five months. 

    An ISL spokesperson said, “Having strengthened club participation from eight to 10 in the Hero Indian Super League this season, its soaring viewership and the league’s commitment to grassroots football, India is undergoing a football renaissance. It is going to be an exciting new journey with the longer season set to kick-off shortly. We are extremely happy that we are seeing greater interest from corporates with DHL having extended their association and committed to be part of the Indian football growth story”.

    The fourth season of ISL will kick-off on 17th November in Kochi. It will see the debut of two new clubs, Jamshedpur FC and Bengaluru FC, making it a 10-team league.

    Also Read:

    ISL: BritAsia TV bags UK FTA rights, plans Amazon Prime debut via Yupp TV

    Tata & JSW teams enter Indian Super League

    ISL sponsorship: Hero triples investment at Rs 1.6 bn

  • SPN gets broadcast and digital rights for 2016 International Champions Cup

    SPN gets broadcast and digital rights for 2016 International Champions Cup

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), has acquired the broadcast rights to telecast the 2016 edition of the International Champions Cup in India.

    The matches this year will be held across North America, Europe, Australia, and China, and will see 17 of the top clubs from across the world participating in the highly anticipated season opening tournament. The International Champions Cup will begin from 22 July and will run through 13 August , 2016. It will be telecast Live and exclusive on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD channels. The tournament will also be streamed live on the SonyLIV app.

    The International Champions Cup 2016 is the first tournament of the 2016-17 football season and will kick-off the 2016-17 club season across the world. The fourth edition will see the return of the winners from the past 3 season – Real Madrid C.F., Manchester United F.C., Paris Saint-Germain, along with other illustrious clubs from across the world.

    The 2016 International Champions Cup will feature the most successful and elite clubs from across Spain, Italy, Germany, England, France, Scotland and Australia, along with a host of top players in world football. The 17 clubs participating this year in the International Champions Cup are Real Madrid CF, FC Barcelona, Manchester United, Liverpool FC, Chelsea FC, Leicester City FC, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Tottenham Hotspur, Melbourne Victory, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, and Celtic FC.

    The acquisition of the broadcast and digital rights of the 2016 International Champions Cup is a strategic approach by the Sports Cluster of SPN towards bringing the best of football to India. After the successful broadcast of the recently concluded UEFA EURO 2016 and Copa America Centenario, the sports cluster of SPN has added the International Champions Cup to its club football portfolio and continues to assert its position as a one-stop destination for football fans in India.

    Sony Pictures Networks Distribution and Sports Business president Rajesh Kaul said, “The acquisition of the exclusive broadcast rights of the 2016 edition of the International Champions Cup in India reinforces the Sports Cluster of SPN’s leadership in sports broadcast in India. The 2016 International Champions Cup is significant of a gold-standard of football with Europe’s elite clubs participating in this tournament. After the success of the UEFA EURO 2016, we are looking forward to broadcasting the season-opening tournament of club football, thereby setting the stage for a great season. We are happy to bring the most compelling football content for Indian fans.”

  • SPN gets broadcast and digital rights for 2016 International Champions Cup

    SPN gets broadcast and digital rights for 2016 International Champions Cup

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), has acquired the broadcast rights to telecast the 2016 edition of the International Champions Cup in India.

    The matches this year will be held across North America, Europe, Australia, and China, and will see 17 of the top clubs from across the world participating in the highly anticipated season opening tournament. The International Champions Cup will begin from 22 July and will run through 13 August , 2016. It will be telecast Live and exclusive on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD channels. The tournament will also be streamed live on the SonyLIV app.

    The International Champions Cup 2016 is the first tournament of the 2016-17 football season and will kick-off the 2016-17 club season across the world. The fourth edition will see the return of the winners from the past 3 season – Real Madrid C.F., Manchester United F.C., Paris Saint-Germain, along with other illustrious clubs from across the world.

    The 2016 International Champions Cup will feature the most successful and elite clubs from across Spain, Italy, Germany, England, France, Scotland and Australia, along with a host of top players in world football. The 17 clubs participating this year in the International Champions Cup are Real Madrid CF, FC Barcelona, Manchester United, Liverpool FC, Chelsea FC, Leicester City FC, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Tottenham Hotspur, Melbourne Victory, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, and Celtic FC.

    The acquisition of the broadcast and digital rights of the 2016 International Champions Cup is a strategic approach by the Sports Cluster of SPN towards bringing the best of football to India. After the successful broadcast of the recently concluded UEFA EURO 2016 and Copa America Centenario, the sports cluster of SPN has added the International Champions Cup to its club football portfolio and continues to assert its position as a one-stop destination for football fans in India.

    Sony Pictures Networks Distribution and Sports Business president Rajesh Kaul said, “The acquisition of the exclusive broadcast rights of the 2016 edition of the International Champions Cup in India reinforces the Sports Cluster of SPN’s leadership in sports broadcast in India. The 2016 International Champions Cup is significant of a gold-standard of football with Europe’s elite clubs participating in this tournament. After the success of the UEFA EURO 2016, we are looking forward to broadcasting the season-opening tournament of club football, thereby setting the stage for a great season. We are happy to bring the most compelling football content for Indian fans.”

  • Gulf Oil inks partnership pact with Manchester United

    Gulf Oil inks partnership pact with Manchester United

    MUMBAI: Gulf Oil Lubricants India Ltd (GOLIL) announced that its parent company Gulf Oil International, a part of the Hinduja Group, had entered into its largest ever single partnership with Manchester United to become its global sponsor and official lubricant cum fuel retail partner till end of 2019 football season.

    Spanning over three seasons, this multi-year partnership was signed by Gulf Oil International vice president Frank Rutten and  Manchester United commercial director Jamie Reigle. “We were working on this deal for over a year and a half. International football is the biggest platform in the  world, and Manchester United a celebrated brand, we couldn’t find a more fitting partner for association given our ambitious target across the world for 2020,” said  Gulf Oil International vice president Frank Rutten.

    The deal will give Gulf Oil International access to Manchester United assets including the club crest and player images and Gulf’s distinctive orange disc will feature on the Club’s digital perimeter boards during Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup matches at Old Trafford though it does not include jersey presence for the brand.

    The company’s partnership with Manchester United is in addition to its existing global tie-ups with Milwaukee BMW, World Superbikes, the World Endurance Championship with the Gulf Racing Team and Porsche.

    Commenting on this partnership’s mileage in the Indian market, GOLIL managing director Ravi Chawla added, “Gulf Oil’s association with the world of sports has been phenomenal right from motorsports to cricket, where we have partnered with the best of the best. It was therefore logical for us to team up with Manchester United in order to reiterate our brand’s core values of endurance, quality and passion. We look forward to leverage this interesting mix of football and cricket and leverage this partnership to increase consumer engagement with the brand, create new and exciting communication platforms that will emphasis the customer value propositions.”

    The company expects the tie-up with Manchester United to augment its long-term association with cricket for enhancement and further strengthening of its brand equity amongst its customers, especially for personal mobility consumers who use two wheelers or passenger cars.

    After cricket, football is the second most popular sport in India. In recent years with the emergence of domestic leagues, the popularity of the sport is growing exponentially to reach youth, not just in the metros but in the tier-1 and tier-2 cities as well. Moreover, viewership of English Premier League & other football tournaments is gaining momentum in India.

    The partnership marks a further step in Gulf’s intent to strengthen its brand presence globally as well as enable it to engage with Manchester United’s worldwide fan base, including 325 million followers in Asia, which Gulf sees as a major focus area with a strong presence in India and rapidly developing businesses in China, the Middle East and Indonesia.

  • Gulf Oil inks partnership pact with Manchester United

    Gulf Oil inks partnership pact with Manchester United

    MUMBAI: Gulf Oil Lubricants India Ltd (GOLIL) announced that its parent company Gulf Oil International, a part of the Hinduja Group, had entered into its largest ever single partnership with Manchester United to become its global sponsor and official lubricant cum fuel retail partner till end of 2019 football season.

    Spanning over three seasons, this multi-year partnership was signed by Gulf Oil International vice president Frank Rutten and  Manchester United commercial director Jamie Reigle. “We were working on this deal for over a year and a half. International football is the biggest platform in the  world, and Manchester United a celebrated brand, we couldn’t find a more fitting partner for association given our ambitious target across the world for 2020,” said  Gulf Oil International vice president Frank Rutten.

    The deal will give Gulf Oil International access to Manchester United assets including the club crest and player images and Gulf’s distinctive orange disc will feature on the Club’s digital perimeter boards during Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup matches at Old Trafford though it does not include jersey presence for the brand.

    The company’s partnership with Manchester United is in addition to its existing global tie-ups with Milwaukee BMW, World Superbikes, the World Endurance Championship with the Gulf Racing Team and Porsche.

    Commenting on this partnership’s mileage in the Indian market, GOLIL managing director Ravi Chawla added, “Gulf Oil’s association with the world of sports has been phenomenal right from motorsports to cricket, where we have partnered with the best of the best. It was therefore logical for us to team up with Manchester United in order to reiterate our brand’s core values of endurance, quality and passion. We look forward to leverage this interesting mix of football and cricket and leverage this partnership to increase consumer engagement with the brand, create new and exciting communication platforms that will emphasis the customer value propositions.”

    The company expects the tie-up with Manchester United to augment its long-term association with cricket for enhancement and further strengthening of its brand equity amongst its customers, especially for personal mobility consumers who use two wheelers or passenger cars.

    After cricket, football is the second most popular sport in India. In recent years with the emergence of domestic leagues, the popularity of the sport is growing exponentially to reach youth, not just in the metros but in the tier-1 and tier-2 cities as well. Moreover, viewership of English Premier League & other football tournaments is gaining momentum in India.

    The partnership marks a further step in Gulf’s intent to strengthen its brand presence globally as well as enable it to engage with Manchester United’s worldwide fan base, including 325 million followers in Asia, which Gulf sees as a major focus area with a strong presence in India and rapidly developing businesses in China, the Middle East and Indonesia.

  • Premier League & Bundesliga: When & where can India tune in?

    Premier League & Bundesliga: When & where can India tune in?

    MUMBAI: As German Bundesliga is set to make its debut with the Bayern Munich VS Hamburger SV match, Star Sports is the final destination for football lovers in India.

     

    Munich fans can tune in to Star Sports 4 or HD 4 at 12 am early Saturday (15 August) to catch all the action live.

     

    Besides German football, English Premier League fans will also be burning the midnight oil as after their opening day success, Manchester United will take on Aston Villa. Star Sports 2 and HD 2 will telecast this match live from 12 am early Saturday morning.

     

    Borussia Dortmund will take on Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday and the live action will unfold at 9.46 pm on Star Sports 4 and HD 4.

     

    The biggest match of the weekend – Manchester City VS defending champion Chelsea will unfold on Sunday at 8.15 pm. Fans can catch all the action on Star Sports 1 and HD 1. Before the match between 2014-15 season table toppers Arsenal will play Crystal Palace, which will be aired on Star Sports 1 and HD 1 from 5.50 pm.

     

    Full Weekend Schedule:

     

    Saturday, 15 August

     

    Bayern Munich VS Hamburger SV at 12 am on Star Sports 4 and HD 4

     

    Manchester United VS Aston Villa at 12 am on Star Sports 2 and HD 2

     

    Southampton VS Everton at 5.05 pm on Star Sports 1 and HD 1

     

    Swansea City VS New Castle United at 7.20 pm on Star Sports 1 and HD 1

     

    Borussia Dortmund VS Borussia Monchengladbach at 9.46 pm on Star Sport 4 and HD 4

     

    Sunday, 16 August

     

    Crystal Palace VS Arsenal at 5.50 pm on Star Sports 1 and HD 1

     

    VfL Wolfsburg VS Eintracht Frankfurt at 6.46 pm on Star Sports 4 and HD4

     

    Manchester City VS Chelsea at 8.15 pm on Star Sports 1 and HD1

     

    VfB Stuttgart VS 1. FC Koln 8.46 pm on Star Sports 4 and HD4

     

    Monday, 17 August

     

    SV Werder Bremen VS FC Schalke 04 at 5 pm on Star Sports 4 and HD 4

     

    Tuesday, 18 August

     

    Liverpool VS AFC Bournemouth at 12.30 am on Star Sports 4 and HD 4

  • Manchester United inks partnership with Korean online games developer

    Manchester United inks partnership with Korean online games developer

    MUMBAI: Manchester United has inked a new partnership with Korean based online games developer and publisher, Nexon.

     

    The new partnership will see the company become the club’s first Social Football Gaming Partner in Korea, bringing the club closer to the country’s 15 million followers.

     

    As part of the agreement, fans will be able to enjoy the Korean version of the EA Sports FIFA Online 3 game with the addition of unique Manchester United branding and gameplay. Users will be able to bring to life United legends such as Sir Bobby Charlton, Denis Law, Bryan Robson, Denis Irwin, Ji-Sung Park and Andy Cole by including lifelike caricatures of the players within their game.

     

    Manchester United group managing director Richard Arnold said, “Korea is an extremely important country for Manchester United and we are pleased to be teaming up with Nexon to bring our Korean fans closer to the club they so passionately support. Nexon’s expertise in creating innovative and exciting game content makes them the ideal partner for Manchester United and we look forward to sharing with fans the latest in gaming technology.”

     

    Nexon Korea CEO JiWon Park added, “Nexon takes great pride in offering comprehensive gaming platforms for Korean audiences and has paved the way for others to emulate in the local gaming industry. Through our partnership with Manchester United, we look forward to delivering an enhanced gaming experience to our EA Sports FIFA Online 3 users in Korea.”

  • Twitter empowers Premier League with fan map

    Twitter empowers Premier League with fan map

    MUMBAI: The social media platform Twitter has been more helpful than just generating social conversations. It has been useful in understanding drivers of various sports properties in areas like cricket and football. Now with the Twitter fan map, the 20 Premier League clubs can view their fans’ locations by a detailed global breakdown of their followers.

     

    As each country divides municipalities differently (counties, states, territories, etc.), Twitter has employed a technique called hexagonal binning, which divides the map into equally-sized hexagons, like a honeycomb, so you can see fandom by region instead of treating each country as one big region. 

     

    Below are a few Asia, UK and global trends that have been collated:

     

    The Asian split:

    The outlook is different in Asia, where Manchester United takes a strong grip on India and Pakistan, while battling with @ChelseaFC for control of football-mad Malaysia and Indonesia. @LFC fare slightly less well in those countries but bounce back with a big lead in Thailand. Meanwhile, @Arsenal taste success in Japan, South Korea and The Philippines.

     

    UK: Old order remains: 

     

    A glance at the UK map shows that Liverpool (@LFC) dominates. There are pockets of red (Manchester United, @ManUtd) and yellow (Arsenal – @Arsenal), but green is most prevalent, spreading from Merseyside north to Scotland, south towards London and into Wales and Ireland.

     

    @LFC, @ManUtd and @Arsenal have 51 top-division titles between them, and that historic success shines through.

     

    Gunners take London: There are six Premier League teams in London, but one stands apart from the rest in terms of Twitter followers: @Arsenal. Not only do the Gunners have more followers in their own locale of Highbury and Islington, but they also edge out arch-rivals Tottenham (@SpursOfficial) and @ChelseaFC in their backyards. Crystal Palace (@CPFC) also see their home turned Arsenal yellow, while West Ham (@WHUFC_official) and Queens Park Rangers (@QPRFC) are shaded out by Liverpool green.

     

    Manchester City (@MCFC), meanwhile, win one valuable territory in the centre of Manchester, amid a sea of @ManUtd red.

     

    Derby day: Football centres around traditional rivalries and four of the biggest in the Premier League end with home wins. North London is very much red with @Arsenal getting the better of @SpursOfficial; The Merseyside derby sees @LFC overcome @Everton on this occasion; The battle in Manchester sees the red of @ManUtd sink the blue of @MCFC; In the Midlands it is @AVFCofficial that take ownership of Birmingham at the expense of West Brom (@wbafcofficial); And it’s @NUFC that claim the northeast with more territory than bitter rivals @SunderlandAFC.

     

    Player power: In many countries, Premier League allegiance appears to be related to, at least in part, the presence of local players. That’s evident for Suarez and Sanchez in Uruguay and Chile, and also for Edin Dzeko (@EdDzeko) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Manchester City takes a rare first place.

     

    Off the pitch: What other factors, beyond the more obvious ones such as player affiliation and geographical impact, could influence a team’s fan base?

     

    A few other interesting connections from the report are as follows:

    · @Arsenal break @ChelseaFC’s dominance in the Middle East by edging ahead in United Arab Emirates, which is home to their stadium and kit sponsors, Emirates Airline (@emirates).

     

    · @QPRFC hugely outperforms their average Twitter follower ranking in Malaysia, where they are seventh. Malaysian entrepreneur and the club chairman Tony Fernandes may have something to do with this.

     

    · Last word goes – as it often does in the football world – to Roman Abramovich. The Russian businessman owns @ChelseaFC, which leads with fans across Russia and the former Soviet countries.

     

    Each view of the interactive map can be Tweeted or embedded by clicking either the ‘Tweet this view’ or ‘Embed this view’ buttons at the top of the screen.

     

    The interactive map has been built by Twitter’s visualisation scientist Krist Wongsuphasawat, to discover which teams dominate each country, and where loyalties lie at a district-level in the United Kingdom.

     

    The map was created by looking at the official Twitter accounts for each team, using their followers as an indicator of allegiance (as opposed to, say, instances in which people mention a team while watching an interesting matchup or talking about a team’s rival).

     

    The primary view shows at a glance, which teams dominate each country around the world:

     

    Finding ones club: Discover how a club fares in each country. Use the ‘Zoom to’ function in the right-hand corner of the map to instantly explore your club’s presence in any given country.

     

    Compare clubs: Pick any two teams and compare where they have their biggest density of followers. Compare local rivals such as Arsenal and Chelsea FC who face each other in a London derby this Sunday.

     

    Most popular clubs: Use the dropdown menu to determine who the most popular clubs are in an area of your choice.

     

    UK: This is the only view where you can zoom right in, region-by-region, to discover a breakdown of where loyalties lie at a local UK level.

     

  • Goalsquad.com aims to score big; targets Indian fans with sports merchandise

    Goalsquad.com aims to score big; targets Indian fans with sports merchandise

    MUMBAI:  Last year saw the popularity of Indian football reaching new heights thanks to the advent of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL). While there has always been a moderate fan following for the game in India, it is largely towards the European Clubs.  

    Trying to cater to this segment for various official and authentic club merchandises is a new entrant in the e-commerce shopping space- goalquad.com.

    The venture was started by two Mumbai based brothers, Aashay and Rushang Shah out of their own financial capacity. The Shah brothers have been a part of their family business in real estate and hospitality for the past ten years. Their main aim was to offer Indian fans with official merchandise on a single hassle free platform. 

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Aashay Shah says that the idea for this concept began in mid 2013 and by the time the duo got in touch with all the clubs and license manufactures, it took about seven months for the supply chain to commence.

    “It also took us time to convince the clubs that we were serious about our business and would want to buy in bulk the various category of products,” says Shah.

    The first of its kind website in the country was born in January 2014.

    Initially the clubs were hesitant and discussed with the Shahs their business initiatives and investment plans including their other business segments. The particular business strategy to be followed was to purchase quantities in bulk orders so that the cost benefit was passed on to consumers. 

    “Football websites like Manchester United do sell products online but when a single product is bought and the duty and shipping costs are added, the price increases five to six times the cost of the product,” explains Shah.

    The idea was born when the brothers sighted a gap to sell official football merchandise in the e-commerce category, which was picking up and decided to venture in the territory where products sell better than in physical stores. 

    The venture has seen an investment close to Rs 1 crore and much of the sale money gained is invested back into marketing and buying of the inventory. Shah says that over the next three years there would be a total investment of Rs 1.5 to Rs 2 crore. He also hopes to break even towards the end of 2016 or by 2017.

    While counterfeit products largely remain a worry, Shah is undeterred as he pins hope at cracking at least 20 per cent of the entire market gamut. Mentioning a Star Sports report released three years back he says that there was around 80-90 million football viewership in the country. Shah intends to target 20 per cent of this market, which would be a substantial number of 15 – 20 million. He feels this number has increased now because of a growing population as well as popularity of the game soaring in India. 

    The website has merchandise from Clubs such as Chelsea F.C, Manchester United F.C , Arsenal F.C, Liverpool F.C among others. The venture also recently introduced its NBA line of merchandise and has also got Mumbai City F.C of the ISL on board. 

    The various products include glassware, football, stationary, key chains, badges, flags and clothing among others. The price range begins from below Rs 500 and stretches upwards of Rs 2,500 depending on the products. The brothers are now in touch with the various ISL teams to get their merchandise on board, whose cult following is yet to begin.

    For Shah, the ISL, its grassroots programme and the few star players have been positive triggers for the growth of the game in the country. While the website is targeted at the age group between 14 and 45, it has also noticed traction from female buyers who largely purchase products for their male counterparts. “I see a lot of school going girls buying Barcelona merchandises because of their star quality players. Messi and Neymar products are huge sellers for them,” says Shah.

    A key challenge for the firm remains the heavy custom duties, which are the standard 30 per cent, besides the Octroi tax in Maharashtra.

    For now, close to 10,000 to 15,000 unique visitors log onto the website in a month. As part of its marketing campaign, it has tied up to sponsor various community based events such as that of a youth league it recently sponsored in New Delhi.

    On social media, the website is trying to build virtual communities where football news and videos are shared on its pages. On twitter it runs a football fantasy league, which is linked to the official Barclays Premier League. As part of the contest a prize is handed every month to the manager of the month which has around 250 players. Shah looks at spending between Rs 15- Rs 20 lakh on the marketing for this year alone.

    The total team strength is around 10 including a social media marketer, a purchase and account manager, a customer care executive besides three people in despatch.

    As part of the expansion plans, the website will soon launch their own app, which will allow customers to easily browse through products besides providing football news, highlights and score update. It also plans to expand to cricket and tennis products and in the near future, thus becoming a full-fledged fan merchandise store selling only authentic and official merchandise.