NEW YORK, NY – New York City Football Club (New York City FC) and Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have celebrated the Club’s inaugural match and 2-0 victory over New England Revolution at Yankee Stadium, on Sunday 15 March.
The Abu Dhabi-based airline is New York City FC’s Principal Partner following a deal which includes branding on all of the team’s playing jerseys. In conjunction with the uniform sponsorship, Etihad Airways is also one of the Club’s Founding Partners.

Tom Glick, President of New York City FC and James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways cheered on New York City FC to its win.

James Hogan said: “New York is a very important market for Etihad Airways. Since the launch of New York service in 2006, our ties to the U.S. and this great city have only continued to grow. Our major partnership with the New York City Football Club, an organization which shares our strong commitment to the core values of community, teamwork, winning and the pursuit of excellence, is important to our ongoing growth in America.”

“As the first Major League Soccer team based in New York City, we are thrilled to join the New York City FC and their more than 15,000 season ticket holders at the iconic Yankee stadium to celebrate the inaugural match and we look forward to working with the Club to further fuel the growth of soccer across all five boroughs, and support community programs that engage and promote young soccer players,” said Mr. Hogan.

Tom Glick added: “This was a very special moment in the history of our Football Club. We were delighted to celebrate our historic home opener with James Hogan and our friends at Etihad Airways. We look forward to sharing many more great occasions together here in New York, as we have with Etihad across the world.”

The airline’s five-year deal is New York City FC’s most significant partnership to date and features a substantial presence for Etihad Airways’ brand across the team’s playing kits, on signage and promotions throughout the stadium, and through hospitality and fan engagement initiatives.

Etihad Airways’ deal with New York City FC builds on the airline’s position as official airline partner of Major League Soccer (MLS) which was announced in March, 2014. This has seen the Etihad Airways logo and its messages beamed across LED pitch-side advertising and on MLS digital platforms throughout the 2014 season.

Etihad Airways currently operates the only non-stop commercial service between Abu Dhabi and six U.S. cities, including Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Beginning December 1, the airline will introduce its signature Airbus A380 service, which features the only three-room suite in the sky, The Residence by Etihad™, between New York JFK and Abu Dhabi. In fact, the first flight on The Residence by Etihad between JFK and Abu Dhabi sold out just hours after the airline announced the flight’s availability for bookings.