Waiting, getting excited, longing for the game: that’s the essence of a pre-match. And Manchester City opted to try a new service for Japanese fans, with us and Sponavi.
The game against Chelsea was a repeat of the 2021 UEFA Champions League final. A chance for revenge, and one match to follow closely.
Man City x Sponavi, a wonderful partnership
Guardiola against Tuchel, Kevin de Bruyne against Romelu Lukaku, Cityzens against Blues for three important points.
To frame this important Premier League match, we teamed up with Sponavi. The Yahoo!-owned sports portal is an important part of the conversation for football fans throughout the country.
From their offices in Tokyo, we partnered up with them and Man City to produce the best possible experience for Japanese fans of the club.
The show featured several important guests:
- Konomi Kimura, host.
- Keita Suzuki, football pundit, former Urawa Red Diamonds captain and Japan national team player.
- Kayoko Shimada, a football journalist and long-live fan of Manchester City, who lived in Manchester for several years.
- Kazuna Hirose, a member of the Japan fan club (OSC), music producer and Cityzen from 5 years ago.
The maiden pre-match live show
The pre-match live show featured many contents. From an exclusive interview with Bernardo Silva to Riyad Mahrez and his funny bit about pasta.
At the same time, a raffle was held and winners were announced live on the show. Meanwhile, the buzz around the style of conduction and the vibe from both the host and the guests was positive.
The show itself brought an immediate result. In fact, it produced a +0,2% rise in followers of the Japanese account of Man City throughout the show.
The match ended 1-0 in favour of the Cityzens, with a goal by Kevin de Bruyne sealing the win. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful experience for everyone involved. And it fulfilled our missing: bridging the gap between Asia and the rest of the world.
