Chinese sportsgear supplier is new 5-year Birmingham City sponsor

Chinese sportswear manufacturer, Xtep International Holdings Limited has secured shirt sponsorhip for English Premier League club Birmingham City. The company will pay £7.1 million over a five-year contract starting in August for a joint "Xtep-BCFC" logo to be worn by players and for eight "mega advertising billboards" bearing Xtep’s logo and products at BCFC’s St Andrew’s Stadium. Xtep will also replace Umbro as training gear supplier at a further cost of £800,000.

As part of the contract, Birminham City players will participate in promotion activities in China during the off-season and a series of Xtep-BCFC apparel products will be rolled out through Xtep's China retail network.

Xtep will arrange for least eight Birmingham Blues matches to be delay broadcasted on China Central Television's CCTV-5 channel. Live broadcast rights are controlled solely by the EPL - not its member clubs - and are sold through a tender process.

Birmingham City's registered owner, the Hong Kong-based Carson Yeung, was delighted with the club's record sponsorship. "Xtep provides an excellent platform for us to bring our English Premier League team to the PRC market and promote Birmingham City FC to a wider group of football fans," he said.

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