There will be no trophy coming home for English soccer fans but the next best thing for them could be beers delivered to their seats at games with Manchester City engaging sportstech company MSL Solutions (ASX: MSL) for point-of-sale terminals at their stadiums. 

The 450 POS terminals will be installed at their home ground, Etihad Stadium, and smaller Academy stadium with the aim of boosting engagement with attendees. Using the terminals, fans will be able to avoid queues by placing orders for food and drinks through the terminals where direct delivery to seats is possible. 

“We are delighted to have been selected by City Football Group through a competitive tender process to bring our world-leading POS solutions to the home of Manchester City Football Club, Etihad Stadium and Academy Stadium,” said MSL Solutions CEO, Pat Howard. 

“We view this contract win as strategically significant for MSL, marking the continued re-emergence of our UK business in partnership with the world’s leading football club owner and operator.”

450 terminals is hugely selective for fans in the 55,000-seat Etihad Stadium but provides opportunities for further rollout. Such terminals are already present across other stadiums around the world as premium services that enhance the fan experience. The addition of it being contactless and streamlined for digital payment also reduces physical contact in the COVID-conscious world. 

“Guests are now returning to live events with high expectations of safety, convenience and seamless user experience, which our solutions are proven to deliver,” added Howard. 

The deal has been inked on an initial 3-year term valued at $273k for access to MSL’s market-leading Kappture software. 

While the deal is classified as one of the smaller ones for MSL, it continues strong sales momentum for them in the sports industry having confirmed a 5-year deal in April valued at $3.5 million to install terminals at AO Stadium (Manchester), First Direct Arena (Leeds), Utilita Arena (Newcastle), Scotland’s largest entertainment venue and York Racecourse. 

The Quarter ended 31 March 2021 was the third successive cash flow positive quarter for MSL when generating $1.3 million from operating activities on $7.2 million in customer receipts. Their June quarter data is expected to be released in the coming weeks.