Pudgy Penguins NFT Brand Expands Soccer Presence with Manchester City Partnership

Pudgy Penguins, the Ethereum-based NFT collection featuring 8,888 unique digital penguin characters, has secured a major partnership with English Premier League club Manchester City, marking a significant expansion of the brand's sports marketing strategy.

The collaboration, announced over the weekend, will introduce a premium co-branded collectibles line targeting adult audiences and merchandise that taps into Manchester City's global fanbase of over 300 million supporters. The merchandise launch was scheduled for January 17, 2026.

This partnership follows Pudgy Penguins' January 2025 deal with Spanish soccer club CD Castellón, which featured the brand's characters on official team jerseys and shorts, along with an open edition NFT release for fans.

Since launching in July 2021, Pudgy Penguins has successfully bridged the gap between digital and physical markets. The brand entered retail in May 2023, selling over 20,000 toy units through Amazon in the first 48 hours and generating more than $500,000 in initial sales. Within a year, over one million plushies were sold worldwide through retailers including 2,000 Walmart locations across the United States.

The Manchester City partnership represents one of the most prominent collaborations between a web3-native brand and a major global sports franchise, reflecting Pudgy Penguins' strategy to evolve into a mainstream intellectual property through real-world utility and high-profile brand partnerships.