Man Utd strike Pakistan mobile deal

Manchester United have entered the Pakistan mobile market.

United could take advantage of cricket's slump in popularity to exploit more commercial opportunities in the Asian sub-continent, it has been claimed.

United have added Zong, one of Pakistan's major mobile telephone companies, to their portfolio of "partners" today.

It is the first time they have joined forces with a Pakistan-based organisation, allowing them to offer greater access to their estimated 10million fans in the region.

Rizwan Akhter, Zong's director of advertising and promotions, said: "Ten years ago, the football market was small, the game was dying.

"But over the past few years, things have changed. Every other person, especially in urban areas, is associated with one club or another.

"And the primary reason for the increase in the popularity of football is the demise and turmoil in cricket."

Akhter continued: "Most of the cricket fans are football followers as well. They are sport lovers.

"But now the interest is increasing because there is more opportunity to see these teams, and the major difference in Pakistan compared to most of Europe, is that matches are available free to air.

"Cricket goes in waves, it is either really up or down. Football viewership sustains throughout, and the graph is rising."

As they have done in many other countries, United will supply exclusive club content to mobile users.

Nike admit they loved Man Utd star Rooney's spectacular derby matchwinner last season

Nike admit they loved Wayne Rooney's winner for Manchester United against Manchester City last season.

Rooney's spectacular overhead kick was beamed around the world.

Charlie Brooks, Nike global communications director, told the Telegraph: "Wayne is one of our most high-profile global sponsored players, so any time a player scores a goal like that it resonates and benefits us.

"Wayne plays in our Total 90 range of boots and we’ve just launched a campaign for them based on the premise of ‘the perfect strike’. We got Wayne to re-create it in super slow motion recently and I think people love to watch a moment like that again and again. It’s already one of the iconic Premier League goals, and the fact that he scored it in Nike boots is fantastic for us.

"Fox Soccer shows all the big games live in the US and there’s a big group of employees at Nike (based in Oregon on the West Coast) who get together to watch games in one of the big Irish pubs in Portland.

"It’s beers and breakfast as the Premier League gets streamed live, so there were lots of people going mad when Rooney’s overhead kick went in."

Aon convinced of Man Utd global pull with Chicharito signing

Aon vice-president David Prosperi admits Manchester United's signing of Javier Hernandez last year convinced them they'd gambled right in sponsoring the English giants.

Prosperi was recalling Wayne Rooney's dramatic winner against Manchester City last season.

He told the Telegraph: "I remember Greg Case, our CEO, being in Mexico when United announced the signing of Javier Hernández from Chivas de Guadalajara and he told me that it made him realise how big United were on a worldwide scale.

"With Manchester United having more than 330 million global fans and with every televised match having an audience on a par with that of the Super Bowl, we saw the opportunity for a dramatic increase in brand awareness for Aon by securing a partnership with the club and moments like Rooney’s goal against City only strengthen that."