Wrexham sponsorship deal could transform how fans watch football all around the world

Wrexham AFC’s new partnership with tech giants Meta Quest could transform how its global fanbase watches matches, according to a football finance expert.

The virtual reality company was named as the League One club’s latest back-of-shirt sponsor last week, in a deal running until the end of the 2025/26 season.

The announcement was accompanied by pictures of players, including star striker Paul Mullin, entering the Racecourse Ground wearing Meta Quest 3 headsets.

The Red Dragons’ popularity has soared since the club was taken over by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in February 2021, followed by the release of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary series charting their success.

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The impact of the Hollywood ownership has seen international supporters travel thousands of miles to catch a glimpse of Phil Parkinson’s side in action.

However, Kieran Maguire believes they could soon be able to get a similar experience from home using VR headsets thanks to the Mark Zuckerberg-owned company’s sponsorship of Wrexham.

Maguire, who hosts The Price of Football podcast, said: “Younger generations see Wrexham as an appealing, accessible football club on the back of the documentary.

“The marketing by Reynolds and McElhenney, and the club as well, has been superb to support and complement what you're seeing on screen.

“The likes of Meta Quest working with a brand like Wrexham makes huge commercial sense. They will have looked at the demographics in terms of who's watching and who's following the club on social media.

“They will want to get access to those eyeballs, because these are the eyeballs that don't sit down and watch Sky Sports for four hours on a Sunday.”

The exact nature of how virtual reality, augmented reality, the metaverse and other advances in technology will change how people watch football in future is currently unclear.

However, reigning Premier League champions Manchester City are among the clubs who have dipped their toes in the water by providing virtual reality experiences for supporters.

And Maguire believes that a time when Wrexham’s international fanbase will be able to watch virtually is closer than many think.

He said: “When I'm on panels with investment banking and private equity, they are quietly confident that we will soon be in a position where you'll be able to have a completely immersive experience using a headset.

“It means you'll be able to feel like you’re sitting next to your mate, even though they could be in the next town or village. The technology is advancing and it's staggering.

“People will be prepared to pay for it because it's cheaper than physically going to the match.

“The other way to consume it is to physically build indoor stadiums, where you would have the equivalent of a pitch and the match will be relayed via avatar and you're effectively watching a living 3D experience.

“Then you are physically sitting next to your buddy from Brooklyn watching Wrexham vs Birmingham or Manchester United playing Chelsea.”