GM to partner with Manchester United

DETROIT, May 30 (UPI) -- General Motors, striving to build global brands, has formed a partnership with English soccer power Manchester United, a source told the Detroit Free Press.

The company is expected to announce its plans Thursday, the newspaper said. GM announced earlier this month it is giving up advertising during the Super Bowl, an event with little following outside the United States.

Soccer, while still a niche sport in the United States, is the top sport in most of the rest of the world. Manchester United released a survey Tuesday that shows it has 659 million followers, including 325 million in Asia and 173 million in the Middle East and Africa. Just over 10 percent of its followers are in the United States.

GM's current strategy is to increase the presence and sales of Chevrolets and Cadillacs outside the United States.