Email
Print
Digg This
By Souhail Karam
RIYADH, Aug 17 (Reuters) - European soccer champions Manchester United are set to sign a partnership deal with state-controlled Saudi Telecom Co (STC) that could be worth $18.6 million, a company spokesman said.
If the deal goes through it would be the first sports marketing agreement of STC, the largest Arab telecom firm by market value, and a non-Saudi football club.
"We are at Manchester now. We will have a press conference tomorrow and the deal will be announced today during a Manchester United game," an STC spokesman, who declined to be identified, said on Sunday.
The deal could be worth 10 million pounds, he said, without giving details.
Britain's Sunday Times reported on Sunday that the five-year deal would grant STC rights to use Manchester United's logo and imagery in its marketing in Saudi Arabia.
STC would be able to offer its subscribers video clips of match highlights, the paper said.
"The arrangement is said to be one of the biggest non-shirt sponsorship deals in British football," the Sunday Times said.
Manchester United kick off the defence of their Premier League title on Sunday at home to Newcastle United (1500 GMT).
