Manchester United and Qualcomm Extend and Expand Principal Shirt Partnership
CALIFORNIA - Qualcomm Technologies Inc. and Manchester United have triggered the extension of their principal shirt partnership which will now run until 2029, a press release stated by Qualcomm.
The extension follows record-breaking home, away and third shirt launches which feature the Snapdragon® brand on the front of a Manchester United shirt for the first time. Snapdragon is Qualcomm Technologies’ consumer brand of processors and can be found in more than 3 billion devices globally. The Snapdragon processors power premium experiences from the world's biggest digital brands across smartphones, next-generation PCs, extended and virtual reality glasses, gaming, wearables, and cars.
Since the release of the three iconic shirts for the 2024/25 season, the content featuring the Snapdragon logo has amassed over 2 billion digital media impressions, which is more than any other partner launch in the club’s history. In addition, Snapdragon Insiders, a global community of Snapdragon enthusiasts, has grown 256% in the month after the release of the home shirt in July versus an average month, to over 16M.
In a first for the club, the new shirts featuring the Snapdragon brand launched with an innovative augmented reality (AR) experience which fans can access by scanning a QR code and the Snapdragon logo on the front of the shirt. The experience, developed by Qualcomm Technologies, brings fans onto the pitch of Old Trafford and will feature exclusive Manchester United content throughout the season.
As part of the extension, Qualcomm Technologies has expanded its rights into the PC category, and activated the right to nominate a logo to appear on the back of Manchester United shirts for the 24/25 season. As seen at the recent Community Shield match, the logo is placed beneath the squad numbers and will also be visible on the back of the shirt in Women’s Super League fixtures as well as certain other men’s, women’s and academy matches throughout the 2024/25 season.
The back of shirt branding demonstrates the ground-breaking approach to this collaboration and the power of integrated marketing solutions within technology and sports, creating an innovative approach to increasing awareness, and ultimately affinity, for the Snapdragon brand.
Omar Berrada, Chief Executive Officer of Manchester United, said: “In a short time, we have seen that Snapdragon and Manchester United are a perfect fit. We have achieved record-breaking home, away and third shirt launches, enjoyed an insightful trip with members of the first team and club leadership to Qualcomm’s HQ and taken an innovative approach to the back of shirt rights.
Against that backdrop, we are incredibly proud to announce the extension of our principal partnership.
“We have ambitious plans for this club to continue to grow and win on and off the pitch. Qualcomm's commitment to join us on this journey shows the strength and depth of the bond between us, which we know will only be enhanced the more we work together."
Don McGuire, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Qualcomm Incorporated said:
"We are thrilled to extend our partnership with Manchester United, showcasing the Snapdragon brand on the Manchester United shirts through 2029. Throughout our partnership, we look forward to helping the Club achieve its goals on the pitch and off the pitch as the Club reimagines Old Trafford and Carrington. We’re excited to bring our technology partners onto the back of shirt and into the club community in unprecedented ways and enable new experiences for the 1.1 billion Manchester United fans around the world.”
