Man City and Japan, a relationship that’s been growing and growing. The strongest club in England can’t wait to share more with its Japanese fans.
Another chance to nurture that relationship came on April 10th, 2022. After the first episode back in January, Man City and Sponavi teamed up again through Ganassa to arrange another pre-match live show.
The game to watch
This time, the chance came because of the Premier League game against Liverpool. The last two Premier League champions squared off to play this match.
Three very important points were on the line, with City and Liverpool facing for the title in a long marathon.
John Stones took the stage to publicise the match among Japanese viewers and football fans. The English defender cheered the Cityzens fans in the days before the game.
Also, Kevin de Bruyne wanted to leave a message for the fans in Japan. This boosted the attention towards this product, especially after the first episode at the beginning of the year.
The show was also a chance to cross-promote the marketing side of the club. Not only through Twitter, but also via Sponavi and its articles themselves. Nevertheless, the match was the key event of the day.
A must-watch
In the Yahoo! Sponavi recording studio, there were several profiles featuring in the panel for this special match:
- Konomi Kimura, host.
- Ben Mabley, football pundit and English commentator for major media outlets in Japan.
- Kayoko Shimada, football journalist and long-live fan of Manchester City, who lived in Manchester for several years.
- Takeshi Mizuuchi, sportscaster and former J. Leaguer, who featured for four seasons with the jersey of Urawa Red Diamonds.
After Episode 1, there were a lot of expectations. The show delivered by featuring exclusive interviews with the club’s players and special content. Another way to bridge the gap between Manchester and Japan.
The game became an instant classic, ending in a 2-2 draw and providing a great spectacle for the Japanese audience. Although Man City didn’t win on the pitch, they surely assured themselves a success: the love and interest of Japanese fans.
