This week, Manchester City football club announced a multi-year deal naming BYD as its Official Automotive Partner. The Manchester City BYD partnership places the world’s largest new energy vehicle (NEV) maker at the heart of one of football’s most commercially sophisticated clubs.
On paper, the deal looks like a conventional automotive tie-up. BYD will supply vehicles from both its core brand and premium line. One of the cars will lead the men’s first-team bus into home fixtures. Branding will appear on training kit sleeves and across LED boards at Man. City’s home ground, the Etihad Stadium.
But the substance runs deeper. BYD will also install EV charging points and battery energy-storage systems at the team’s football academy, embedding its tech into the club’s operational infrastructure.
For the car maker, the Manchester City BYD partnership fits into a broader football strategy. The company has already aligned itself with major tournaments like UEFA EURO 2024, using sport as a high-vis bridge into European markets. Football offers what auto shows cannot: weekly global reach, emotional equity and cultural relevance.
And the football club? Well, Man. City has long positioned itself as a data-driven, innovation-first type club. BYD’s emphasis on engineering supremacy gives this partnership credibility, rather than it being a superficial badge swap.
The Manchester City BYD partnership: Why Premier League football?
There is geographic logic at play too. Europe remains a key battleground for Chinese EV brands facing regulatory scrutiny and tariff headwinds in other markets. This is important because BYD has struggled in the past with a reputation as a cheap knock off of Tesla vehicles.
That perception is changing though. Now, in many markets outside China, their popularity and reputation are growing. In 2025, BYD outdid Tesla to become the world’s highest selling EV manufacturer. Aligning with a high-profile Premier League powerhouse offers legitimacy in connection to a brand known for elite performance.
