MANCHESTER, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NYSE:MANU) Manchester United today launched its official Twitter (@ManUtd) and Sina Weibo (www.weibo.com/manchesterunited) pages. The micro-blogging services will allow fans around the world to engage with the club in a way they have never experienced before with iconic artwork, behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive content sent directly to their news feeds.
The @ManUtd Twitter page will reach the Club’s fans among the 200 million active Twitter users worldwide. The account will initially launch in English, with foreign-language versions to follow. Manchester United’s Sina Weibo account will provide content in Mandarin to the service’s 500 million users.
Manchester United already has an impressive online presence with 67m page views on its manutd.com website during the final month of the 2012/13 football season and over 34m likes on its Facebook page. Today’s launches mark the next phase in the enhancement of the Club’s digital media offering, with further new products and platforms to be announced later this summer.
These new services will be complemented by the updated press office Twitter account (rebranded as @MU_spokesperson) that will supply updates on Manchester United’s business and commercial developments.
Richard Arnold, Group Managing Director, said:
“Connecting with our fans is a key part of the Club's strategy. We have invested a lot of time and resource into providing the best media offering for its fans, which is evident from the recent MUTV acquisition and today’s Twitter and Sina Weibo launches.
“Every month there are over 5 million Manchester United related social media posts and the level of engagement we have with our fans via social media is amongst the highest of all top global brands. I look forward to these new ventures further extending the Club’s interaction with its fans around the world.”
About Manchester United
Manchester United is one of the most popular and successful sports teams in the world, playing one of the most popular spectator sports on Earth. Through our 135-year heritage we have won 61 trophies, enabling us to develop the world’s leading sports brand and a global community of 659 million followers. Our large, passionate community provides Manchester United with a worldwide platform to generate significant revenue from multiple sources, including sponsorship, merchandising, product licensing, new media & mobile, broadcasting and match day.