By Emmanuel Oluebube, Correspondent UK and Chinedu Nwosu, Lagos
One of the world’s leading consumer electronic brands, Hisense, has announced a two-year agreement with Leeds United to become an Official Partner of the club.
The new partnership will see Hisense, whose UK headquarters are in Leeds, support the newly promoted club in an initial partnership which includes LED perimeter advertising, media interview backdrop branding and extensive branding of the prominent East Stand. The deal will also see Hisense award winning televisions installed at both Elland Road and the Thorp Arch training ground.
Founded in China in 1969, Hisense is the world’s fourth-largest manufacturer of televisions and home appliances. As well as the core range of televisions and refrigeration appliances, Hisense also launched a cooking range in 2019, featuring hobs, hoods, ovens, and dishwashers. In recent years, the brand has become increasingly involved in professional football on a global scale, serving as an Official Sponsor of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and of the re-scheduled UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.
Leeds United will be working pro-actively alongside Hisense UK to spearhead the brand activity, including exclusive fan offers, sponsorship optimisation and innovative brand activations showcasing the latest brand technologies over the next two seasons.
Through the partnership Leeds United will extend their own global brand reach via an exclusive Club branded App which will deliver LUTV and exclusive club content onto the Hisense VIDAA Smart TV platform
Hisense UK’s Vice President, Howard Grindrod said: “Leeds United are a huge club with an iconic stadium, so we’re delighted to announce this profile partnership with one of the biggest clubs in England.
“We have a wealth of experience within the football sector internationally, and this is a fantastic opportunity to involve ourselves in a partnership with a Premier League club – even better that it’s a club on our doorstep.
“Leeds United pride themselves on attention to detail, which is something we feel resonates directly with Hisense and our product range such as 4K ULED TVs. As excitement continues to build into the new season, we’re looking forward to kicking off our partnership and supporting the local community and being part of arguably the best league in the world.”
Executive Director at Leeds United Paul Bell added: “We are delighted to welcome Hisense into our Official Partners programme. As one of the leading consumer electronics brands in the World is further testament to the strength of the Leeds United brand that Hisense have chosen to Partner with the Club on our return to the Premier League.
Through the partnership Hisense will receive significant brand visibility through the Partnership, globally through the Premier League TV footprint and regionally through their high profile branding on the East Stand here at Elland Road that directly overlooks the M621 motorway and is seen by over 30 million vehicles annually.
As part of this partnership we are also excited about extending the reach of our video on demand channel LUTV and creating unique Club content for the Hisense VIDAA Smart TV Platform, taking our content into millions of homes
We look forward to working with the team at Hisense to showcase their latest technologies and help to grow their brand presence within the global consumer electronics market.”
