City Football Group (CFG) have signed a global, multi-year marketing and technology partnership with SAP to be its official ‘Cloud Software Provider’.
CFG has four clubs around the world, including Manchester City FC (Men and Women), New York City (FC), Melbourne City FC and Yokohama F. Marinos.
The group and its clubs will implement a variety of cloud-based solutions based on the SAP HANA platform, with the aim of simplifying their worldwide operations, scale their business, and increasing productivity.
These solutions will include SuccessFactors solutions, the SAP Jam social software platform, and the SAP Simple Finance solution powered by SAP HANA, as well as SAP Predictive Analytics software and SAP BusinessObjects business intelligence solutions. These analytics solutions will form the centre of the group’s new information infrastructure to enable the analysis and simulation of all data from ticketing to merchandising to allow faster and more informed decision-making.
Another focus of the partner is enhancing the fan experience in CFG team stadiums around the world, including an interactive digital insights wall at Etihad Stadium, which will display real-time analytics and insights for fans. CFG will also utilise SAP solutions for customer engagement and commerce, and customer experience management software from hybris.
In the future, CFG and SAP plan to co-innovate on enhancements to the cloud-based SAP Sports One Solution, specifically in the areas of talent management, football performance and human performance. This platform helps sports organisations to manage individual teams and players, as well as analyse data from difference sources to help optimise performance on the field for players and coaches.
Khaldoon al Mubrak, chairman of City Football Group, said, “This partnership is as important as it is broad, stretching across all entities within the City Football Group. In SAP we have found a technology partner that is committed globally to our businesses and one that shares our constant drive for innovation. Our common ambition is to create groundbreaking football-specific technology solutions and products and I have every confidence that we will be successful.”
The partnership with CFG follows SAP’s collaboration with the German National Football Team (DFB) to develop SAP Match Insights, which helped the team on the journey to claiming their fourth World Cup Championship.
Pictured: Franck Cohen (SAP), Stefan Wagner (SAP), Brian Marwood (CFS), Ferran Soriano (CFG)
