Ant International and Tottenham Hotspur: A New Era for Fintech in the English Premier League

Expanding Fintech Footprint with Tottenham Hotspur

Ant International, the global arm of Chinese fintech giant Ant Group, has entered into a three-year strategic partnership with English Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur, as part of the company’s efforts to expand its reach across overseas markets.

Singapore-based Ant International, through digital payment solutions provider Alipay+ and merchant payment processing service Antom, will serve as Tottenham Hotspur’s exclusive global payments provider and digital wallet partner, the company announced on Thursday.

• Payment systems at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London will be supported by Ant International.
• Fans around the world will be able to purchase team merchandise using various local partner wallets of Alipay+.
• Alipay+ becomes the first-ever official training-wear sleeve partner for the club’s men’s and women’s teams.

“Ant Group has a long-standing passion for sports, particularly football, and many of our London office employees are dedicated Spurs fans,” Aaron Wang, vice-president of strategic partnerships at Ant International, told the South China Morning Post.

Wang pointed out that Tottenham Hotspur has a substantial Asian fan base due to players like South Korean team captain Son Heung-min and Chinese footballer Wang Shuang, who recently joined the club's women’s team.

Leveraging Sports Marketing for Global Strategy

This partnership underscores Ant Group's strategy to leverage sports marketing as part of its global expansion. Hangzhou-based Ant Group served as one of the 13 worldwide sponsors of the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship in Germany.

Aligned with its vision, “Sports is a universal language, and it aligns perfectly with Ant Group’s global ambitions,” Wang emphasized.

Strengthening Digital Experiences and Future Prospects

Ant International’s EPL initiative is part of a broader corporate strategy following a restructuring of Ant Group into independently-run business units.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy highlighted the strategy to “further engage our fan base across the Asia-Pacific region” through innovative payment solutions. The EPL season is currently ongoing, setting the stage for exciting matchups, including the anticipated North London Derby.

As part of its diversified offerings, Ant International also operates other fintech solutions including WorldFirst, Anext, and Bettr, illustrating the wide impact it seeks in the fintech and sporting landscape.