The first global teaming between a football club and social media giant has won the SPIA’s 2021 Best Sponsorship Collaboration Award in Dubai ABU DHABI: UAE league champions Al-Jazira FC’s partnership with TikTok won the Best Sponsorship Collaboration Award at last night’s 2021 Sports Industry Awards (SPIA) series. Launched in October at the start of the domestic football season, the collaboration represents the first-ever global partnership between a football club and the fastest-growing social media video platform. Thanks to over 300 videos accumulating 44.5 million views and almost 1 million likes, Al-Jazira’s TikTok account became the club’s most-followed across all social media platforms and has made the Pride of Abu Dhabi the fastest-growing club on social media in the UAE. Reaching over 108 million hashtag views (#AlJazira) while becoming the club with the highest following in the UAE and the third-highest across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the collaboration aimed to engage with fans in novel ways during the global pandemic as they followed the team’s journey to the title win from home. Hosted at the W Hotel in Dubai, the 2021 edition of SPIA included a total of 21 award categories recognizing the achievements of the sporting industry in the Middle East. Al-Jazira’s Best Sponsorship Collaboration Award win beat notable nominations, which included Rakbank and Barcelona Platinum Credit Card, Mai Dubai and City Half Marathon, and Citibank and the International Paralympic Committee. “We all very proud to receive this award. It is a true testament of the brilliant work that our team has done during the season,” Al-Jazira CEO Ali Youssef Al-Hammadi said. “As two forward-looking brands, our partnership with TikTok is truly a perfect fit. Becoming the first football club to collaborate with the popular social media platform is an honor and showcases the importance the club places on fan engagement and innovation.” The partnership witnessed unique content from Al-Jazira promoted widely across TikTok. In return, the TikTok brand featured heavily at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium and on the team’s limited-edition kit in honor of frontline heroes in the early stages of the football season. Throughout all 13 home matches, Al-Jazira’s LED perimeter boards marketed the TikTok brand in 30-second rotations. “TikTok provided a great platform for all our fans at a time when they could not support us at stadiums,” Al-Hammadi added. “We were all blown away by the level of engagement and excitement that they showcased during the season. Finally, I want to congratulate everyone at TikTok and the Al-Jazira family. It has been an unforgettable year for the Pride of Abu Dhabi both on and off the pitch, and we look forward to achieving even bigger things next season.” Celebrating the award, TikTok Head of Sports, MENA, Mohammed Harb commented: “At a time where people around the world had to adapt to a new reality, the Al-Jazira football club was able to quickly adapt and combine sports and creativity to create content which resonated deeply with the UAE community on TikTok. “Through our partnership, we were able to bring Al-Jazira fans together virtually and bring joy to millions of people across the world with a full-screen, sound-on experience,” he added. “I would like to express my utmost congratulations to the Al-Jazira football club and everyone at TikTok. It has been an honor working with the club, and we look forward to many more collaborations to come.”