Manchester City sign deal with Endemol

(GETTY IMAGES)

Manchester City are to work in tandem with the group responsible for Big Brother to develop their global brand.

While attention has been focused on Mark Hughes' squad building this summer, and in particular an on-going pursuit of Samuel Eto'o, City's Abu Dhabi-based backers are eager to take advantage of the expected explosion of interest in the Eastlands outfit.

Endemol Sport has signed a "multi-year" deal with City for a major website launch today, that will include a site in Arabic, and to develop TV ideas.

Even at Manchester United and Real Madrid, revenue from overseas supporters still represents a relatively small percentage of turnover and it remains to be seen how successful City will be given their smaller support base.

However, as David Pullen, brand and marketing director at Manchester City, points out, much will depend on what happens to Hughes' team on the pitch.

"At the top of the list is providing a positive experience to existing fans," he said.

"The second priority is to create a point of entry into Manchester City and what it stands for.

"We want to target certain markets, first in Arabic and English and by the end of the year, in three or four other languages."