BNN Technology PLC BNN Technology, Manchester City expand partnership

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BNN Technology PLC

25 April 2017

25 April 2017

BNN Technology and Manchester City expand China partnership

Further step in BNN's strategy to deliver unique mobile content and develop large public participation programmes in football

BNN Technology (AIM: BNN), a London-listed Chinese technology, content and services company, today announces an expanded, multifaceted partnership with Manchester City Football Club. The agreement significantly expands the commercial relationship announced in January 2015 with one of Europe's most successful clubs, focusing on developing coaching programmes, delivering unique content, providing 'money-can't-buy' VIP experiences for Chinese football fans and offering competitions through the Xinhua News mobile app.

The expanded partnership is a further step in BNN's strategy to support grassroots football in China by developing large public participation programmes focused on enhancing playing and coaching standards in the country. BNN will work with City to manage a new programme of four football clinics in China, involving up to 144 players of 18 years old and over.

The four clinics for 2017, representing 48 hours of dedicated coaching time with three official coaches from the Club's City Football Schools programme, have been confirmed to take place during May in Beijing and Hangzhou. A further football clinic for 32 players will take place over three days in June at City's world class, state-of-the-art training complex in Manchester, where two coaches will lead a total of 18 hours of training.

Players may win places at the clinics through a free-to-enter competition hosted on BNN's Manchester City microsite within the Xinhua News App. The competition is open to all, regardless of ability, and is based on a nomination process. Players may nominate themselves or be nominated by others. The individuals with the greatest number of votes from friends and family will be selected to attend the clinics, with all expenses paid.

The expanded agreement also allows BNN, through its Chinese partner NewNet, to provide a range of Club content to the Xinhua News app, including manager interviews before games, pre-match press conferences, weekly news bulletin videos, weekly training footage and news articles. In addition, Chinese fans will be offered opportunities to win, through free-to-enter prize draws and fully paid VIP trips to watch matches at the Etihad Stadium, as well as competitions to win exclusive merchandise such as jerseys and signed footballs.

Manchester City has one of the largest social media followings in China of any international football club, with more than eight million followers on Sina Weibo, the major Chinese microblogging website.

BNN remains committed to delivering social participation programmes that build on the company's longstanding operations in China and enhance the lives of the country's citizens.

Darren Mercer, Chief Executive of BNN Technology, said:

"I am delighted that we are expanding our relationship with Manchester City, one of Europe's top clubs, to help BNN play a wider role in supporting China's football ambitions while also delivering first class content to the Xinhua News app and gaining further high quality data to support our other sales channels. City's expertise and input will be hugely valuable as BNN builds a programme that will help to improve grassroots playing standards throughout China. We firmly believe that football is a powerful force for promoting social engagement, enriching day-to-day lives and, in turn, strengthening the base of our consumer focused operations."

Damian Willoughby, Senior VP of Partnerships at City Football Group, said: Manchester City, said:

"Manchester City is delighted to grow its partnership with BNN. They share both our commitment to playing an active role in the development of football in China, and engaging with local fans in an innovative way. The Club already has a strong and growing presence in China and this partnership will help us amplify our activity in the country even further."

For further information, please contact:

 
 BNN Technology plc                   [phone] 
 
 Darren Mercer, Chief Executive 
  Scott Kennedy, Chief Financial 
  Officer 
  Stephen Benzikie, Communications 
 

About the Group

BNN Technology plc is a Chinese technology, content and services company that builds long-term partnerships to deliver China's citizens with value-added services, content and evolving opportunities.

Listed on AIM since 2014, the Group principally engages in providing technology to partners to facilitate fulfilment of payments online and on mobile apps through partnerships or affiliate agreements with corporate and key government partners, and developing digital content, both online and mobile. Through Chinese partner NewNet and its partnership with Xinhuatong, BNN facilitates mobile payments, through its technology platform, on the Xinhua News mobile app in 12 provinces in China. The Chinese consumer shift to 'life on mobile' is only just beginning and BNN's platform technology enables urban and rural communities across China to access exclusive content and pay for more services online.

The Group employs nearly 300 professionals throughout China.

About Manchester City Football Club

Manchester City FC is an English Premier League club initially founded in 1880 as St Mark's West Gorton. It officially became Manchester City FC in 1894 and has since then gone onto win the European Cup Winners' Cup, four League Championship titles, including two Premier League titles (2012, 2014), and five FA Cups.

Under manager Pep Guardiola, one of the most highly decorated managers in world football, the Club plays its domestic and UEFA Champions League home fixtures at the Etihad Stadium, a spectacular 55,000 seat arena that City have called home since 2003. Today, the Stadium sits on the wider Etihad Campus, which also encompasses the City Football Academy, a state-of-the-art performance training and youth development facility located in the heart of East Manchester. Featuring a 7,000 capacity Academy Stadium, the City Football Academy is also where Manchester City Women's Football Club and the Elite Development Squad train on a daily basis and play their competitive home games.

For more information, please visit www.mancity.com

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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April 25, 2017 02:01 ET (06:01 GMT)