Bayern Munich and Konami extend their Platinum partnership

Bayern Munich and KONAMI have agreed to extend their partnership for a few more years. The Tokyo based video-game manufacturers have been a Platinum partner of FC Bayern since 2019. Konami produce the video-game series ‘eFootball’, formerly known as ‘Pro Evolution Soccer (PES)’. The collaboration with FC Bayern provides the developers of the series which has the necessary rights to access all of Bayern’s current players and legends. Recently, Bayern’s Esports team finished second in this season’s eFootball Championship, losing the final to the Esports team of AS Monaco.

For the context, Platinum Partnership is the second tier of Bayern’s partnership model, only behind the club’s main partners and shareholders. Hylo, Paulaner, HVB and Siemens are some of the other companies who are with KONAMI at the Platinum-tier.

In Bayern’s official statement, the club’s board member for marketing, Andreas Jung has said that, the club is looking forward to share more successful years together with Konami.

“The partnership with KONAMI is of great importance to us because this market is booming and is particularly popular with the young fans. We love football and this collaboration offers the ideal opportunity to play the game virtually with our fans around the world and connect everyone in this way. KONAMI translates as ‘small wave’ - and we have already been able to create a big wave together in the first years of our partnership. We want to continue surfing it. We are looking forward to the future,” Jung said.

Naoki Morita, KONAMI’s European President has expressed his delight about the partnership extension.

“We are delighted to be extending our partnership with FC Bayern. Being a partner to one of Europe’s elite football clubs presents KONAMI and the club with many opportunities. To have been partners during a period where they have won multiple titles and become champions of Europe has been fantastic, and we cannot wait to continue to produce engaging and exciting activations with FC Bayern for their fans and ours for the years to come,” Morita remarked.

For the last few years Bayern have been trying to broaden their recognition in Asia. They also have opened a new office at Bangkok, Thailand earlier this year. This partnership-extension with Konami could also be another step in that direction.