Manchester United inked a new three-year sponsorship agreement with Bulova. The US watchmaker would now be the official timekeeper of the second-richest sports franchise in the world. The deal replaced Hublot, the timepiece of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, which had been Manchester United's timekeeper since 2008. Hublot is based in Nyon, Switzerland.
Bulova is a unit of Citizen's Watch Co of Japan. The deal would give Bulova permission to put its name on the scoreboards at the Old Trafford, the home stadium of Manchester United. Bulova would also be allowed to display its name on the sports team's advertisements. The transaction also authorized Bulova to use the soccer club's crest in its timepieces.
Manchester United's "multimillion-pound" deal with Hublot ended in June. Kate Lowe, Spokeswoman for Manchester United, did not reveal the value of the new agreement with Bulova. She also said that the Hublot clock in the stadium's entrance had already been removed. Manchester's existing sponsors include Aon Plc, DHL and Nike Inc.
Forbes ranked Manchester United next to Real Madrid in its list of the world's most valuable sports teams. The British soccer club is reportedly worth USD 3.2 billion.
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