20 July 2017
Juventus will have a sponsor on the back of their shirts for the first time in history after a new, three-year sponsorship agreement was signed with Cygames.
While the design of the shirts itself is a nod to the Bianconeri’s glorious past, the presence of the Cygames logo on the back is another clear indication that the club is pushing forward as part of its international development strategy.
The Japanese company is a leading producer of video games and forms part of the CyberAgent group, which is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ Stock Market in New York.
Founded in 2011 in Tokyo, Cygames quickly established itself as a key player in the entertainment sector. Its first ever release, Shingeki no Bahamut (Rage of Bahamut), revolutionized mobile gaming. Granblue Fantasy, a role-playing game launched in 2014, opened the company to new projects, involving a number of actors to provide voiceovers for the main characters. Shadowverse is one of the most popular mobile games in Japan, with a total of 10 million downloads, and it will be launched in Italian on 31 July 2017.
“This is a significant milestone for Juventus with a sponsor now appearing on the back of its shirts for the very first time,” declared Giorgio Ricci, Co-Chief Revenue Officer and Head of Global Partnerships and Corporate Revenues at Juventus.
“The chance to form a partnership with a company of such international prestige played a great role in our decision-making to sign this deal and so it’s with pride that we welcome Cygames to the Juventus sponsorship family. We share the same vision in that we both want to achieve excellence on a global level.
“This is a strategic partnership for Juventus, because it allows the club to penetrate the Japanese market and strengthen its standing in Asia. The fact that Cygames is a leading company in the entertainment sector demonstrates the close proximity between Juventus’ image and experience-based assets.”
The Cygames logo will make its debut on the Juventus shirt in the USA, with the Bianconeri set to face Barcelona at New York’s Metlife Stadium on 22 July – Juve’s first match in this season’s International Champions Cup.
“The Juventus jersey is an important symbol for 300 million people around the world,” continued Ricci. “This partnership gives us strength and a profound sense of pride as we approach another season packed with challenges.
“We’re excited and honoured to have signed an agreement to become an Official Juventus Sponsor,” said Cygames president Koichi Watanabe.
“The Cygames logo will appear on the back of the official Juventus jerseys for all domestic games and friendly matches.
“This partnership was written in the stars, as both of our brands are defined by the same two colours: black and white. Moreover, Juventus and Cygames share the same mission – to entertain people all over the world while conveying positive values.”
