In a groundbreaking move that could reshape the landscape of sports entertainment, the owners of Manchester City (CFG), have signed a deal with Sony to develop a host of new football-themed television shows.
ADVERTISEMENTOver the past decade, Pep Guardiola's Manchester City has ruled the Premier League with an iron boot. They're the first men’s team in the history of English football to win the top-flight title four years in a row, on a run that began in 2020/21.
But why stop at football? Now the club's influence is poised to extend into television: thanks to a new groundbreaking partnership deal signed with Sony Pictures Television (SPT) .
City Football Group (CFG), Manchester City's owners, recently announced a new strategic collaboration between its own creative media production unit, City Studios, and SPT’s production teams. This partnership will see the companies co-develop and produce new original scripted, nonfiction and kids' television projects for worldwide audiences.
In a statement, City Football Group said the television projects would "include stories related directly to CFG and its clubs and players, as well as the creation of projects inspired by football, or where football is the central theme or plotline".
As well as Manchester City, CFG owns stakes in 12 other clubs worldwide including New York City FC in the US, Melbourne City FC in Australia, Mumbai City FC in India and Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan.
The success of football television
This venture builds on the success of previous football-centric productions that have captivated huge audiences worldwide. Manchester City has been leading the way in this respect, having already achieved success with Amazon’s All or Nothing documentary series in 2018 and their recent Netflix series, 'Together: Treble Winners'.
The latter series, released earlier this year, is notable for being the first in-house documentary produced by a Premier League club to secure a multi-million pound distribution deal with Netflix.
Similarly, the docu-series 'Welcome to Wrexham' has been very popular and demonstrated the Hollywood effect in football. The show follows the journey of the world's third oldest professional football team Wrexham AFC, after being purchased by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Since their acquisition, the two Hollywood stars have astonishingly propelled the team from the National League (the fifth tier of the English football league system) to League One (third-tier overall).
The series itself has brought unprecedented global attention to lower-tier football, won several Emmy awards and has recently been renewed for a fourth season.
Fictional football content has also enjoyed remarkable success. 'Ted Lasso', the award-winning series which follows an American coach who is hired to manage a British football team, was the most-watched original show in the US in 2023, with 16.9 billion minutes watched.
The wider sports documentary genre continues to thrive, with series like Netflix’s 'The Last Dance', 'Last Chance U' and 'Formula 1: Drive to Survive' being big hitters for the world's biggest streaming service.
Wayne Garvie, the president of international production at Sony Pictures Television puts the success of football TV content down to the game itself: “Football is the great global game, no other sport produces so many heroes, tears and laughter, joy and heartbreak as football."
He adds: “The basics are always the same: 22 players, two goals, one ball, but the game always evolves and over the last decade City Football Group have become an unprecedented innovator and global leader. Our aim is to be part of the next evolution of the game, creating a new generation of innovative football-based entertainment to thrill the world.”
From an economic standpoint the financial benefits of this deal are immense for Manchester City and its owners. Not only does it open new revenue streams for CFG through global content distribution and merchandising, but it also strengthens the brand’s position as a leader in both sports and entertainment.
“Bringing together the expertise of both CFG and SPT will enable us to create brilliant shows and remain at the forefront of football-led content production," says CFG'S CEO, Ferran Soriano.
ADVERTISEMENTIf successful, the deal could set a precedent for other Premier League and sports clubs, encouraging them to invest more effort and budget into their own production companies. This trend could lead to a new era of sports media, where clubs aren't just competing on the pitch but also vying to attract the largest audiences off it.
While the possibilities are virtually endless, it’s important to note that this innovation is already in motion. Many top clubs, such as FC Barcelona and PSG, are diversifying into areas like e-sports to stay ahead.
Only time will tell quite what this new partnership will produce. We could very well be seeing an animated series like 'Erling's Epic Adventures' or a Jack Grealish live comedy special.
One thing is for certain: we'll be seeing a lot more of Manchester City on our screens very soon.
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