GM Teams Up with Manchester United

General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet brand has signed a five-year deal to be the official automotive sponsor of British football giant Manchester United. GM declined to say what the sponsorship would cost.

Chevrolet which long promoted itself as the all-American make with such slogans as "Heartbeat of America" is now GM's main global brand. Chevy hopes to boost its profile worldwide via the link to Manchester United, which says it has 659 million fans worldwide. Nearly half the fan base is in Asia, including more than 100 million in China, GM's biggest market.

The club was sponsored for the past eight years by Volkswagen AG's Audi brand, which announced earlier this month it would sponsor the sport's European champion, the U.K.'s Chelsea club.

GM surprised many Americans earlier this month when it said it wouldn't advertise during next February's Super Bowl game in New Orleans, La. The company insists that decision was unrelated to the agreement with "Man U." But Chevy officials note that Manchester United games draw as many as 600 million television viewers, far outpacing the Super Bowl's audience of roughly 100 million.