Manchester United and TeamViewer partnership drives unique opportunities

Liam Watson

A five-year agreement between Manchester United and TeamViewer brings one of the world’s most popular and successful sports teams with one of Europe’s fastest-growing software companies. 

The collaboration sees the two organisations join forces from the 2021/22 season, where TeamViewer has recently been unveiled as the new principal shirt partner for the Red Devils.

With TeamViewer presented on the front of Manchester United’s shirt, it will capitalise on the English Premier League club’s global audience to share TeamViewer’s qualities and features towards connecting the world virtually. It brings greater awareness of how they can be of use to any organisation seeking improved collaboration software. 

Manchester United boast 1.1 billion fans and followers around the world, who will now be introduced to new technology related to TeamViewer’s expertise at providing remote connectivity services.  

TeamViewer have all bases covered for getting supporters of Manchester United closer to the action, focusing on three key areas – fans, football and business. 

Fan: 

  • Virtual stadium experiences. 
  • Unique behind-the-scenes content. 
  • Augmented Reality (AR) at Old Trafford and at home. 
  • Enhanced museum experiences. 

Football: 

  • Enhanced training and performance through AR. 
  • Remote access to players for scheduling and training. 
  • Remote access and AR for medical examinations. 
  • Enabled scouts through remote access technology. 

Business: 

  • Enhanced accessibility and IT support for offices. 
  • Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for stadium controls to optimize safety and security. 
  • Upgraded sustainability at the stadium and all club locations through remote work and IoT solutions. 

Similarly to Manchester United, TeamViewer are a widely known platform who are based in Germany – they have been installed on over 2.5 billion devices, have nearly 600,000 subscribers, and operates in almost every country. TeamViewer matches Manchester United’s ambition for growth, where their technology addresses the barriers for people and businesses to achieve what they thought could not be possible. TeamViewer is the ideal fit in a football club setting, where they can collaborate with a global community and an array of culture. 

A new Thought Leadership series saw Manchester United head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer speak for the first time with TeamViewer CEO Oliver Steil to discuss the essence of what makes a great team, how Manchester United and TeamViewer will drive technological advancement, and how to foster a culture of diversity and inclusivity. The TeamViewer meeting highlights the values that both parties share, ensuring that Manchester United supporters will have more access to their club than ever before.

TeamViewer CEO Oliver Steil: 

“We are very excited to see our brand on the front of the most iconic shirt in global sports. The partnership with Manchester United is a key pillar to further shape TeamViewer’s perception as a global tech brand.”

“We will support the club in its digitalization efforts and show these use cases to all our users and customers worldwide. This will reinforce the breadth of our solutions portfolio and explain how we are creating a world that works better. We can’t wait for the new season to begin and to see the team in action in their new shirt at the legendary Theatre of Dreams.” 

Group Managing Director and Director of Manchester United, Richard Arnold: 

“The launch of our new home kit is an exciting moment before the start of every season and especially so this year as we welcome TeamViewer as our new principal shirt partner.”

“While the shirt will be the most visible symbol of our partnership, we are looking forward to using TeamViewer’s technology to drive digitalization of the club and open new ways for us to connect with our fans. This will bring huge benefits to both of our organisations and, most importantly, to our fans around the world.” 

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The Vision AI Game-Changer Australian Football Can’t Afford to Ignore

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Image Credit: arxiv.org

Ultralytics’ YOLO26 arrived quietly in January, but make no mistake: in the global arms race for vision analytics, this is the biggest leap forward the football industry has seen in years. For Australian football, which is too often left to play catch-up with European and Asian rivals, the new YOLO26 pipeline is a game-changer hiding in plain sight. Right now, not a single professional team or major federation in Australia has embedded this technology into their pathway, while clubs and analysts overseas are moving lightyears ahead.

A Model Built for the Pitch, Not Just the Cloud

So what makes YOLO26 different? The answer is simple: it’s the first state-of-the-art computer vision tool that was actually built for real-world deployment. While most analytics systems in use across the A-League and even at national team level demand heavy cloud infrastructure, technical gatekeeping and consultant support, YOLO26 strips all that away. It runs on-site, on ordinary devices, and you get instant, actionable insight.

In the current Australian landscape, coaches and analysts are still scheduling long post-match review sessions and leaning on commercial cloud platforms, because live, high-performance vision AI has always meant spending big and waiting for results. YOLO26 is tuned for what actually happens on the ground: tracking and profiling every player, every run, every contested ball, and flagging tactical patterns as they unfold—not hours later in an analyst’s office.

Comprehensive, Real-Time Performance

Here’s the kicker: YOLO26 doesn’t just handle basic object detection. The model performs deep image classification, unlocks true instance segmentation (drawing a line between players in a goalmouth scramble), performs pose estimation (vital for load management and injury prevention), and even delivers oriented bounding box detection, needed for analysing drone footage or any overhead angle. All of this can happen as the match is unfolding.

Also crucial for the Australian game is YOLO26’s speed. On CPUs, it’s up to 43 percent faster than what most clubs are using today. No internal VAR setup in Australia operates in real time for grassroots or NPL levels. With YOLO26, even clubs at the lower tiers could get instant footage review and actionable stats with off-the-shelf equipment and minimal technical overhead.

Accessible, Flexible, and Ready for Local Workflows

What really sets YOLO26 apart from big-name competitors, including expensive overseas deployments and software packages used by most A-League clubs, is how accessible it is. The days of paying six-figure fees for a siloed analytics suite, locked behind legal red tape and incompatible formats, are over. YOLO26 supports export to anything. Integratable with NVIDIA GPUs, Apple devices with CoreML, Intel’s OpenVINO stack. The same model can be plugged into different workflows, from basic sideline laptops to top-end analytics labs.

A Growing List of Global Partners

Ultralytics isn’t operating in isolation. YOLO26 is at the heart of new collaborations with major global tech partners including Sony, Axelera, Intel, STMicroelectronics and deepX. These partnerships ensure YOLO26 is supported across a huge range of embedded devices, accelerators, and edge hardware. Sony is integrating YOLO26 within next-generation camera sensors. Axelera and deepX are making sure the model runs optimally on cutting-edge AI chips designed for resource-limited settings. Intel and STMicroelectronics are pushing YOLO26’s capabilities into IoT, making the tech available for everything from stadium surveillance to pitch-side scouting.

You see YOLO26 at work powering camera systems for automated highlight reels and tracking in some of Asia’s biggest leagues. In the UK and Europe, clubs are already running their own scouting and medical workloads through YOLO. Smart startups are building fan-facing AR overlays, pushing broadcast graphics to new heights. US youth academies are using YOLO models to take their junior pathways to a level that, bluntly, Australia is not matching.

Why Isn’t Australia on Board?

Despite all this, in Australia the uptake is nil. There’s a cultural hesitation where clubs and federations still see computer vision as a luxury or a post-match resource, not an urgent competitive tool. This is a luxury Australian football can’t afford. Our closest Asian neighbours and European trade partners are not only racing ahead on the field; they’re embedding next-gen tech in everything they do.

Football is a game built on moments, on the difference between knowing and hoping. If Australian clubs waited to sign overseas talent until every other market was picked clean, they’d never compete; so why do the same with analytics?

YOLO26 isn’t just another algorithm. It’s a pipeline. It fits with platforms that let clubs manage, deploy and monitor AI tools from one dashboard. It plugs into open-source Python workflows for those who want control, and it integrates with video formats Australia already uses.

The AI Shift is Now

AI barriers are now psychological and political. The technology is here; the world is moving. YOLO26 is the tool that, if embraced, would help Australia unlock actionable, real-time vision AI. The AI shift is happening now, not next decade.

The world’s best are moving. Our A-League, NPL and even NTC programs can either watch, or take the leap themselves.

Clifton Hill FC Set for New Era as Pavilion Upgrade Nears Completion

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Image Credit: One-Nil Media

Community football in Melbourne’s inner north is set for a major boost, with Clifton Hill FC preparing to usher in a new chapter following the redevelopment of its pavilion at Quarries Park.

The upgraded facility, delivered with support from Yarra City Council, is expected to significantly enhance the matchday and training experience for players, families, and volunteers while supporting the club’s continued growth.

A long awaited upgrade for Clifton Hill FC

Club President Michael Tyrikos said the redevelopment represents a long-awaited milestone for the grassroots club.

“We’ve been waiting close to 10 years for this,” Tyrikos told SoccerScene. “I’ve been involved with the club for over two decades and improving the facilities has always been a major goal for us.”

The new pavilion replaces previously limited amenities, with the club formerly operating with just two change rooms and minimal communal space. The upgraded facility will provide modern change rooms, social areas, and improved spectator amenities.

Supporting growth in participation

Tyrikos explained the redevelopment will be particularly significant in supporting participation growth, including the club’s expanding girls’ program.

“Previously, we only had two change rooms, which made it difficult as our girls’ program continued to grow,” he said. “Now players can feel comfortable using proper facilities with access to showers and dedicated spaces, which is something we simply didn’t have before.”

Image Credit: One-Nil Media

Beyond player development, the pavilion is also expected to strengthen the club’s role as a community hub. The addition of indoor social spaces will allow families to engage more closely with the club environment, particularly during Melbourne’s winter months.

“Parents can now sit inside and watch games, and we can finally host club events, kids’ parties, and social gatherings,” Tyrikos said. “Before, we just didn’t have the capacity to bring people together like that.”

A new era at Quarries Park

Tyrikos also acknowledged the broader infrastructure improvements delivered alongside the pavilion redevelopment, including new lighting towers and an upgraded playing surface, highlighting the importance of council support in driving the project forward.

Clifton Hill FC is hopeful the new pavilion will be operational in time for its anticipated first home fixture scheduled for mid-May, marking the beginning of a new era for the community-focused club.

Image Credit: One-Nil Media

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