Manchester City has announced a new agreement with UK-based digital image tech start-up SmartFrame Technologies.
The deal sees SmartFrame become the Premier League champions’ new photography and image-streaming distributor.
As per the agreement, City will adopt the SmartFrame model moving forward, allowing the club to showcase ‘higher quality imagery’ that aims to bring ‘fans closer to Manchester City matches, moments and memories.’
The club’s photography will also be authenticated using technology from the Adobe-led Content Authenticity Initiative, meaning fans across the world can be sure the images are officially approved by Manchester City’s photography team.
All of the imagery will be made available to City’s global fanbase, and to organisations for commercial purposes. Publishers using the Manchester City official photography library will also be able to access the exclusive images and embed them for free.
All the official images will be exclusively distributed online using SmartFrame’s innovative image-streaming technology.
The collaboration has been described as allowing the club to gain ownership of the IP rights of images taken, which will allow Manchester City to gain ‘control of photography used across sponsorship and advertising campaigns.’
The significant deal for SmartFrame follows a similar deal with New Zealand Rugby agreed back in July.
Subscribe to the Sport Industry Daily for regular updates on the biggest stories and latest news in the sport industry.
