Man City is the "first Premier League team to announce a shirt sleeve sponsor," according to Jonny Singer of the London DAILY MAIL. A rule change coming into force next season "will allow clubs to have a secondary sponsor on their sleeves." Man City revealed its partnership with Nexen Tire, a tire manufacturer from South Korea. The club has not disclosed the financial details behind the sponsorship, but the space is "valued at around a fifth of that of a main kit sponsor." Clubs like ManU, which receives £47M ($58.3M)-a-year from Chevrolet to be on its shirts, could see a further £10M ($12.4M) invested. Man City has listed Nexen Tire as its official tire manufacturer since '15, but this is the first time the name "will appear on the club's shirts" (DAILY MAIL, 3/17). BLOOMBERG's Tariq Panja reported by freeing up space that usually features a league logo, the Premier League "created a new revenue stream for teams that are already among the world’s richest." Lagardère Sports & Entertainment U.K. Managing Dir Carl Woodman said, "This is a very significant development in football sponsorship and one that brands should pay close attention to." The relationship between Man City’s owners and principal sponsor Etihad -- both the team and the Gulf airline are owned by the Abu Dhabi royal family -- "makes it easier for the club to address any concerns Etihad might have about putting another brand on the jerseys." It may "not be so easy for rivals, whose sponsors might impose a contract clause forbidding them from adding any other logos to their jerseys" (BLOOMBERG, 3/17). THE DRUM's Tony Connelly reported the Korean tire firm agreed to a "three-year deal with the club." The brand originally partnered with Man City in '15 and "activated its sponsorship through football challenges with first team players Raheem Sterling, Kelechi Iheanacho and Nolito" (THE DRUM, 3/17).
