“The good thing is that many more people know TeamViewer. “What we want is for people to know we offer the whole solution. “We didn’t just want to sponsor, we wanted to partner,” says Oliver Steil, TeamViewer’s chief executive, speaking at Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium in late May. Manchester United, despite their relative lack of success on the pitch in recent years, had the global profile to make this happen, especially in key markets. Sports sponsorship was seen as the best way to cut through the noise and get its name into the minds of business and IT decision makers. In a more globalised, digitised society, it believes the combination of these technologies can make digital communications as personal and effective as physical interactions, making existing processes more efficient, driving customer satisfaction, and aiding sustainability initiatives. The company says it now offers a full array of advanced communications tools encompassing areas like the Internet of Things (IoT), data analytics and automation. TeamViewer first launched in 2005 as a remote desktop assistance application before expanding into other areas of IT. TeamViewer’s technology is being used to overhaul Manchester United’s back end operations The usual suspects such as Microsoft, Google and Cisco were all hoping to capitalise on this demand, as were lockdown darlings like Zoom, which was enjoying a surge of popularity following widespread consumer adoption. Whereas the early stages of the pandemic in 2020 were characterised by improvisation and ad hoc approaches to technology, most organisations were developing a more considered, long-term approach to digitisation that would yield efficiencies and serve a hybrid workforce. When Manchester United and TeamViewer signed this particular deal, the UK and many other countries around the world were still subject to lockdown restrictions and businesses were advancing their digital transformations. The deal still has four years left to run and TeamViewer has already said it will not extend the partnership when it comes up for renewal – a fact that many commentators have used to reinforce their belief that this was a mismatch from the start.īut not all sponsorships are designed to last forever, and some have very specific intentions. Others questioned the wisdom of a company that sells sophisticated technology to other businesses – and lacks a consumer proposition – in spending a reported €55 million (US$56 million) a season on such a high-profile sports sponsorship. Most wondered who exactly TeamViewer were. When Premier League soccer giants Manchester United announced in March 2021 that their new shirt sponsor for the next five years would be German software firm TeamViewer, more than a few eyebrows were raised.
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