Manchester United Partners with TAG Heuer

MANCHESTER, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

MANU Manchester United has today unveiled TAG Heuer as its new Official Timekeeper and Global Partner.

The three-year agreement between the prestigious Swiss Avant-Garde watchmaker and the world's most popular football club has been celebrated in Beijing with United players.

The first team is currently in China for Tour 2016 presented by Aon, preparing for the season ahead. To mark their arrival in the capital, players joined Manchester United Commercial Director Jamie Reigle and Loic Biver, Head of Marketing of LVMH Watch & Jewellery Greater China, to herald a new phase in their companies' history with this global partnership.

United Ambassadors Ji-sung Park and Denis Irwin, two of the club's most decorated players (who between them notched 11 Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues), were also at the event along with Leo Poon, TAG Heuer General Manager of Greater China.

When the team returns to launch its Premier League campaign for 2016/17, TAG Heuer will feature on digital advertising boards at Old Trafford. Specially-crafted TAG Heuer timepieces will be displayed around Manchester United's stadium, including in the team's dressing room, as well as the club's Aon Training Complex and its offices in Manchester, London and Hong Kong. TAG Heuer branding and its brand motto #DontCrackUnderPressure, will feature across all of Manchester United's digital platforms, including its website and social media.

TAG Heuer has been a Swiss Avant-Garde watchmaker for 155 years, founded in the remote mountain village of Saint Imier in 1860, some 18 years before the formation of Newton Heath in Manchester. TAG Heuer's unique heritage is built on pushing boundaries to overcome technological restraints and create watches with real racing spirit. The brand has distinguished the history of watchmaking, especially in the field of mechanical chronographs with unparalleled accuracy.

Joining forces with Manchester United allows the company to extend its offering to United's 659 million followers worldwide, 107 million of whom are from China.

Manchester United's Group Managing Director, Richard Arnold comments:

"This key partnership has been struck at a very exciting moment in our history. Led by our new Manager we're proud to be in China, where we enjoy vast and loyal support, preparing for an important season ahead.

"In TAG Heuer, we have a partner that will naturally be well-equipped to support us, not least because we share so much. Our rich history can be traced back to the same era; we've both overcome challenges and come out stronger in our quest for the highest level of performance. Our prestige is down to our unrelenting commitment to be pioneers.

"Above all, TAG Heuer understands that the journey always continues, as time does, and I'm very proud to say that we're now on that journey together."

Jean-Claude Biver, TAG Heuer CEO and President of the LVMH Watch Division says:

"Manchester United is the most prestigious football team in the world and getting into football at the highest level is for me very important. TAG Heuer doesn't "sponsor", we "partner" with iconic teams, organisations, and people who share similar values and a strong vision.

"We believe in the need for long-term work in order to truly communicate the message we have together. With Manchester United, we communicate passion, emotion, joy, dreams, team spirit, organisation, strategy and finally victory, values that are also carried by our brand and more importantly by the people who buy and wear our watches."

About Manchester United

Manchester United is one of the most popular and successful sports teams in the world, playing one of the most popular spectator sports on Earth. Through our 138-year heritage we have won 63 trophies, enabling us to develop the world's leading sports brand and a global community of 659 million followers. Our large, passionate community provides Manchester United with a worldwide platform to generate significant revenue from multiple sources, including sponsorship, merchandising, product licensing, new media & mobile, broadcasting and match day.

About TAG Heuer

TAG Heuer is the Swiss Avant-Garde watchmaker since 1860. Avant-garde is our culture and our philosophy. TAG Heuer's unique heritage is built on pushing boundaries and breaking rules: harnessing mental fortitude to overcome technology restraints and create watches with real racing spirit. The brand has marked the history of watchmaking, especially in the field of chronographs with an unparalleled mechanical accuracy. The new models – including the TAG Heuer Connected watch - reveal a new dynamic in terms of both the performance touch and a completely transformed environment: TAG Heuer is currently the only watch brand to be able to communicate in the four different worlds Art, Lifestyle, Sport and Heritage. Our partnerships, F1 Red Bull Racing Team, English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Spanish LaLiga, Chinese Football Association Super League, American MLS (Major Soccer League), 2016 Copa America, Australian National Football team, Monaco F1 Grand Prix, Indianapolis Indy 500, FIA Formula E… and the brand ambassadors, living football legend Cristiano Ronaldo, Premier League's Champion Coach Claudio Ranieri, it-girl Cara Delevingne, American Quarterback Tom Brady, Australian actor Chris Hemsworth, DJs David Guetta & Martin Garrix, Chinese singer GEM and actor Li Yifeng… all reflect common core values of mental strength, disruptive attitude and ambition. The brand's motto #DontCrackUnderPressure is far more than a command – it is a mindset. TAG Heuer is part of the LVMH Group. For more information on TAG Heuer, please visit our website tagheuer.com

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