The Italian giants, AC Milan, has announced a new collaborative agreement with the Major League Baseball (MLB) outfit, New York Yankees. Both clubs will sell each other’s merchandise under this new agreement.
AC Milan products will be accessible for purchase at the club’s Yankee Stadium home, and Yankees merchandise might very well eventually be available at the Rossoneri’s team stores in Milan, thanks to a new collaboration among two of the world’s most storied sports teams.
The agreement emerged after Yankee Global Enterprises (YGE), the MLB franchise’s ownership group, obtained a shareholding in AC Milan in August, followed by the team’s €1.2 billion (US$1.17 billion) acquisition by the US private equity firm RedBird Capital in June.
Along with this, the Serie A reigning champions have also formed a partnership with the YES Network.
With this deal, AC Milan intend to capitalise on their mass appeal in the United States. According to a recent Nielsen study, the club has the largest American fandom of any Italian team, with over 24 million supporters.
Casper Stylsvig, AC Milan, Chief Revenue Officer, said, “Getting on this journey alongside the New York Yankees, an icon of sport at a global level, is a source of great pride for us. This collaboration is a testament to our club’s desire to be a point of reference both on and off the pitch, fostering exchange between near and distant worlds, and bringing AC Milan to new heights on its path of growth.”
Tony Bruno, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, YGE, commented, “Aligning the Yankees with AC Milan – a club that is internationally recognised and beloved for its storied history of domestic and European success – unites two entities that strive to represent the best in sporting achievement.
“Additionally, creating a strong association between the two teams perfectly complements our desire to engage both sports fans and style-minded consumers in markets around the world.
“We could not be more excited to begin this union and look forward to working with the Rossoneri’s commercial team on collaborative efforts and initiatives that celebrate the excitement supporters feel when they cheer on our clubs.”