The Premier League (PL) team, Manchester City FC (MCFC) have inked a multi-year partnership with the multi-player game platform, Piing.
As part of the deal, the gaming entity has been named Man City’s official crowd games supplier, allowing supporters to participate in Piing games before and during halftime at the Etihad Stadium and the Joie Stadium on match days, and additionally in hospitality areas such as the Blue Carpet experience.
This partnership, which is unprecedented among Premier League teams, is aimed at increasing fan interaction of the Citizens. Fans will be able to demonstrate their football expertise with Quiiz and show off their penalty-shooting prowess with the Pen-Kick on the large displays. Both games are popular among Piing fans and have been played in stadiums across the world.
Gareth Langley, CEO of Piing, commented, “This collaboration marks a huge step for the Piing brand and brings us back to a team in which we have some deep connections and long standing friendships. We’re on a mission to engage fans at the greatest events on Earth, so we’re really looking forward to large crowds across men’s and women’s matches at the Etihad and Joie Stadiums getting their hands on our games. We were considering the value of stadium-wide digital activations that all fans could interact with.
“That’s when we saw the global opportunity for how Piing can change how brands interact with fans at sports and live events all over the world. It’s great to come full circle and cement that relationship with the club where it all started.”
Notably, MCFC was involved in the formation of Piing, which joined the Manchester City Startup Challenge competition while the club was seeking methods to increase fan interaction.
In addition to games on the big screen, spectators will also be able to play Piing in fan zones, hospitality areas, and the Manchester City Blue Carpet.
Piing games are available at Manchester City for anyone with a smartphone. Without downloading an app, spectators may join the game by scanning the QR code displayed on the large screens. The games are the quintessential crowd-pleaser and will fill the stadium to capacity, fostering incredible moments of community among the attendees.
Recently, the PL team also developed ties with WWE to launch a line of merchandise ahead of the PL unit’s US pre-season tour.