Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers have partnered with Footballco’s youth football brand, NXGN, naming them as principal partner of their academy.
NXGN was launched in 2021 by Footballco to cover the next generation of youth culture and young talented individuals influencing the game. The partnership will see NXGN appear on the front of Wolves’ under-12’s through to under-18’s shirts, along with brand replacements in and around Wolverhampton’s academy.
Content featuring academy players include appearing in Footballco’s video formats, as well as new formats created for NXGN and specifically for the partnership with Wolves. New formats for the partnership will also incorporate Wolves’ youth-focused initiatives, such as their esports team and their music label.
Collaborations between NXGN and Wolves Records have already begun, with Wolves Records’ artist Reepa recording a track for the partnership that serves as the soundtrack to the official video announcement.\
‘NXGN’ by Reepa and produced by Tarju Le’Sano, details a young player’s ambitions to make it in professional football, from avoiding distractions and excelling at training to breaking into the first team.
Andy Jackson, Head of Partnerships for Footballco, spoke via press release:
“Wolves’ pioneering work in music, gaming, and fashion, as well as the excellent work by their academy, aligns perfectly with NXGN’s ambition to not only showcase the best young players but also cover youth football culture beyond the pitch, in formats and on channels that resonate with Gen-Z and Gen-A fans. We’re looking forward to working with Wolves and showing our audience what life is like at a Premier League academy.”
Wolves’s Golden Chane project will see Footballco and NXGN acting as key partners for this initiative. Thanks to the project Wolves’ academy, coaches will get to visit the cities in the United States to promote young talent. The initiative will be promoted through GOAL and NXGN channels, with both brands supporting a docuseries that will air after the project’s completion
Russell Jones, General Manager for marketing and commercial growth at Wolves, added via press release:
“I’m delighted to welcome Footballco to the Wolves family. Footballco fully shares our vision of integrating football, fashion, music, and gaming and is the world’s largest football publisher, reaching over 600 million people per month.
“I’m sure many of our fans will already be familiar with their popular football brands like GOAL, Mundial, INDIVISA, and NXGN. Aside from growing the story of the Wolves Academy, this partnership will help Wolves and our partners increase our global reach. I’d like to thank Andy and the team for their work so far and look forward to an exciting year ahead.”
The partnership between Wolves and Footballco will act as a catalyst for collaborating with further media brands on other innovative content initiatives growing their fanfare in other football-frenzy nations.