Epson announces Manchester United sponsorship deal

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Sir Alex Ferguson looks on as Epson and Manchester United seal the deal with a ceremonial sake ritual

ITPRO correspondent Seth Barton with Wayne Rooney

Over the weekend, Japanese printer giant Epson announced a global sponsorship deal with Premiership football side Manchester United.

Epson become the club's Official Office Equipment Partner and will provide printers, scanners and projectors for the club's ground, Old Trafford, and presumably supply point-of-sale equipment, such as tills and receipt printers, for its retail outlets.

The deal provides obvious benefits for both parties.

Epson get to be associated with a worldwide recognised brand that is an enviable success in its own field and we expect Epson will use images of the team spilling out of printers in its consumer advertising.

For Manchester United, it gives the team an even bigger image in the lucrative far-east market, an area it has concentrated on in the past with pre-season tours.

Epson's Global President, Mr Minoru Usui, said: "The partnership with Manchester United aligns Epson with an exciting and globally recognised brand, bringing us closer to our customers worldwide."

Manchester United's chief executive David Gill added: "We are obviously delighted to have Epson as one of our commercial partners with immediate effect and are looking forward to developing an exciting communications programme that helps us both achieve our business goals."

Precise details of the deal were thin on the ground, with both Epson and Manchester United refusing to comment on any financial element.

The deal was announced to fans at this weekend's home game with Blackburn Rovers though it's hard to imagine it was a motivating factor in United's triumphant 7-1 victory.