City Football Group and Oak View Group Launch Eastlands Venue Services to Integrate Stadium and Arena Operations.

Roger Hampel

Photo Credit: City Football Group (CFG)

City Football Group (CFG) and Oak View Group (OVG) have announced the launch of Eastlands Venue Services, a new joint venture designed to unify service and operations management across the Etihad Campus in Manchester. The initiative will begin by operating catering services for both Manchester City FC's Etihad Stadium and the newly opened Co-op Live arena.

The move represents a strategic shift in how live event operations are structured, aiming to centralize services, streamline staffing, and elevate fan experiences across sports and entertainment properties under one unified service model.

Operational Efficiency Through Multi-Venue Integration City Football Group Oak View Group

Eastlands Venue Services will function as a 365-day operational unit, beginning with a workforce of 80 full-time employees and over 3,000 casual staff, the majority of whom are from the Greater Manchester region. Many of these workers are being transferred from third-party service providers and will now operate across multiple venues under one organization, improving job consistency, shift frequency, and training access.

The goal is to optimize how services like catering, hospitality, and guest experience are delivered across more than 150 event days per year, including Premier League matches, concerts, and other large-scale public events.

Strategic Alignment of Venue Operations

This joint venture provides significant benefits to both partners:

• For CFG, it strengthens operational control across the Etihad Campus, aligning with their global strategy of vertical integration and brand-led fan experience.

  
  

• For OVG, the move enhances its foothold in the UK market, particularly at Co-op Live, which is projected to become one of Europe’s leading entertainment venues.

  
  

Roel de Vries, COO of City Football Group, emphasized that the venture is not only operationally strategic but also aimed at community job creation and service standardization.

“Combining the expertise of our workforce across Etihad Campus venues will provide the foundation for Eastlands Venue Services. Our aim is to scale this model while delivering consistently high-quality experiences for fans.”

Jessica Koravos, President, International at Oak View Group, added:

“This partnership will benefit employees across the board, from casual workers to premium hospitality teams, while enhancing the event experience for tens of thousands of fans.”