Networks, strategy and sport: the case of City Football Group

PurposeThis study examines the networks and strategy of Manchester City Football Club and City Football Group, central to the group's emergence as a global entertainment organisation with a network of franchises worldwide.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a case study design to examine both Manchester City Football Club and City Football Group (CFG)'s strategy. Drawing upon an extensive review of documentation pertaining to CFG's strategic vision and approach, a network analysis of the brand's constituent clubs, partners and state- and corporate-investors was conducted, providing a macro-level view of CFG's use of global franchising, media partnerships and commercial agreements to extend CFG and the City brand internationally.FindingsThe study's findings afford a unique insight into CFG's efforts to monetise and globalise through franchising, which provides insights into the convergence in sport of politics, entertainment and business. Namely, how the global strategy enacted by CFG and the Abu Dhabi government (its owner) has leveraged sporting properties successfully. In turn, it extends their geopolitical and economic networks and grows the parent City brand as a global entity.Research limitations/implicationsThe study's findings afford a unique insight into CFG's efforts to monetise and globalise through franchising. Namely, the global strategy enacted by CFG and the Abu Dhabi royal family (its owner) has leveraged sporting properties successfully. In turn, it extends their geopolitical and economic networks and grows the parent City brand as a global entity.Originality/valueThe research represents an important step in examining the strategy of football club ownership and global club networks within sport. In this respect, the present research provides a new way to understand sport in a globalised, digitised and geopoliticised operating environment.