X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has struck a ground-breaking partnership with football club Burnley FC, which this year returns to the English Premier League after a one-year absence. Under the terms of the multi-year commercial arrangement, X is set to become the first “strategic digital platform partner of the Clarets”.
Burnley FC and X said they will “work together to deliver world-class fan engagement, content and brand amplification, while leveraging X-powered campaigns and creators”
In one particularly eye-catching component of the deal, the partners will produce the first ever X Originals content series in the UK, “which will exclusively capture Burnley’s first-team players, staff and leaders behind the scenes at the training ground, Turf Moor and inside the dressing room throughout the season”.
The Burnley FC X Originals series will launch early in the season and see 20 episodes drop fortnightly to give fans unprecedented access to follow a Premier League season behind the scenes, in real time, as the campaign progresses.
This UK-first content series follows previous X Originals series, with 18 shows now commissioned in the US, Japan and MENA, spanning sport, popular culture, business and finance – including the latest series announcements with tennis superstars Serena and Venus Williams, and the NFL Top 100, both debuting on X this summer.
Additionally, the partnership is set to expand into live streaming opportunities, “creating various appointments-to-view to provide unparalleled insight for fans, alongside amplification of exclusive short-form content on the X platform”.
Burnley FC currently services more than 820k active followers and has also delivered some viral moments on X such as its comedic transfer announcement videos. The Club also achieved recognition with a video of Natasha Bedingfield singing Unwritten with the men’s first team receiving more than 10m views worldwide.
Alan Pace, Burnley FC Chairman, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with X as we enter an exciting period for the Club ahead of our return to the Premier League. Community is at the heart of everything that we do, so partnering with X enables us to expand that community even further and bring our passionate fanbase closer together, while growing our visibility with new digital audiences.”
Jonathan Lewis, X Corporation’s UK managing director, added: “We’re very proud to partner with Burnley in this multiyear deal which includes our first ever UK X Originals series. The Clarets have one of the most passionate fanbases in the game and we can’t wait to bring the spirit of the club’s supporters to life on X.”
Lewis said the collaboration with Burnley “launches our X UK: A New Chapter strategy, and showcases how X’s real-time engagement and highly active global audience will transform sports fandom through authentic engagement for clubs and teams.”
X said its new UK Strategy will support key voices in Sport, Business, Tech, and Entertainment. Partners will receive support from a dedicated team on X platform management, content creation, distribution, and user engagement.
