MUMBAI: KwanAbler, the joint venture formed in April 2018 between Kwan Entertainment and sports marketing pioneer Ravi Krishnan with the stated aim of commercializing the opportunities available to global sports, media and entertainment businesses within the Indian ecosystem, has scored its biggest deal since inception.
KWANAbler has announced its collaboration with City Football Group (CFG), owners Manchester City FC, to build commercial opportunities in India for the Premier League champions.
Is this development linked to news published recently by SportzPower that in-principal agreement is in place for CFG to take a stake in Indian Super League franchise Mumbai City FC? And that all that is remaining is final agreement on the price CFG will pay for said stake?
Not at all, it has been clarified quite categorically to SportzPower. With that out of the way, we can return to the announcement Through the association, KWANAbler will build commercial opportunities in India for Manchester City.
KWANAbler’s partnership with a marquee football club such as Manchester City also underlines its credentials as a global business partner. The coming together will also ensure long-term commitment from a domain leader to India, both as a commercial market and a prospective hub of talented young players.
Speaking on the association, Ravi Krishnan, chairman – KWANAbler, said: “City Football Group and its progressive strategies have had a huge impact on the evolution of club football. It has made significant investments not just in clubs and players across the world, but also in improving the overall sports infrastructure in the regions in which it operates. Associating with such a prominent domain leader is not only an exciting moment for KWANAbler, but also for the larger sporting ecosystem in India. We are confident that this one-of-a-kind association will generate lucrative commercial opportunities for Manchester City in India, and will also add another dimension to the country’s emerging sports landscape.”
Vijay Subramaniam, CEO, KWAN, said: “We are extremely excited to be partnering with City Football Group in their expanded foray to the Indian subcontinent. The City Football Group has established itself as the gold standard in global football and with the massive growth of the sport here in India, we see multiple synergies with leading brands and the content eco-system.”
Indranil Das Blah, CEO – KWAN Sports, added: “India is a country of 1.3 billion people who are passionate about sports, and yet its massive business potential has gone largely untapped till date. With the market at an inflection point, the entry of a globally-leading organisation such as City Football Group will spur the Indian sports industry onto the next phase of its evolution. We are delighted with this association and have committed KWANAbler’s extensive resources to help City Football Group capture the growing business and talent opportunity that the country represents.”
The KWANAbler team will be led by Krishnan who, as one of the pioneers of sports marketing in India, helped create the sports, media, and entertainment ecosystem in the country from the ground up. Blah will also lend his invaluable expertise in brand sales, celebrity endorsements, and sports marketing to the collaboration between KWANAbler and CFG.
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