Manchester City are about to break hundreds of thousands of Irish hearts by beating Manchester United to the 2012 Barclays Premier League Title.  They are also building a significant base from which to make the most of their new status.
City were last week awarded the Sports Website of the Year at the Sports Industry Awards, beating off competition from friend of Sport for Business, Teamer.net.
They have now signed a multi year multi million kit contract replacing Umbro with that brand’s new parent company Nike from the start of the 2013/14 season.
The deal is reported to be worth up to £12 million a year though that is only half the figure of Liverpool’s deal with new brand Warrior due to start this summer.
Manchester United’s deal with Nike expires in 2015 so it will be interesting to see whether the shifting of the balkance of power on the pitch is reflected in the coming years in commercial deals off it.
Man City started what could yet prove to be their breakthrough season by competing in, and winning, the Dublin Super Cup at the Aviva Stadium in July 2011.  They are one of the names being spoken about for the 2012 renewal of the event.
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Latest issue of Sport for Business Weekly (May 3rd to 9th, 2012)
The latest issue of Sport for Business Weekly (May 3rd to 9th 2012)

Sport as the cornerstone of the new broadcast and entertainment environment; Spar this week’s sponsor in focus; Keeping it Local for clubs and communities; Paralympics 2012 – Coming soon to a screen near you.
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