PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS AND THEIR PRINCIPAL SPONSORS

ARSENAL : Principal Sponsor – Emirates (Fly Better)

Arsenal first struck a deal with UAE’s flag carrier airline Emirates back in 2006. Twelve years later, they extended their partnership to at least another five years, in a deal expected to be in excess of US$280m.

The Emirates logo holds household recognition among staple football fans, with the text “Fly Emirates” (now “Emirates – Fly Better”) emblazoned across kits of many famous football clubs. The likes of AC Milan, Real Madrid, Chelsea, PSG and Hamburger SV have had sponsorship deals with Emirates at some point in time.

ASTON VILLA : Principal Sponsor – Cazoo

Aston Villa added Cazoo as their new principal partner in a multi-year deal ahead of the 2020-21 season, with the online car retailer firm replacing Asian betting company W88 as the Villains’ official shirt sponsor, in a deal reportedly worth US$16m over two years.

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION : Principal Sponsor – American Express

The American multinational financial services corporation American Express has been the biggest and long-standing partner of Brighton & Hove Albion for a decade. The two first came together in 2010 with a naming rights deal for the stadium, that was expanded with kit sponsorship in 2013 in a deal worth US$1.9m per season.

The two parties further extended their partnership last year with a twelve-year extension, in an enhanced deal reportedly worth north of US$121m (approx. US$10m per year). The deal represents the largest sponsorship deal in the Premier League outside the traditional ‘Big Six’.

Amex has been a veritable contributor to the Brighton community. It has its UK headquarters located in Brighton and is one of the largest private sector employers in the region. The deal strengthens Amex’s association with the city and grants it naming rights across the club’s women’s and disability squads in a bid to encourage diversity and inclusion within the community.

BURNLEY : Principal Sponsor – LoveBet

Burnley signed a three-year deal with LoveBet as one of their principal partners in 2019. The Asian betting company replaced LaBa360 as the front-of-shirt sponsor for the Clarets’ matchday kits.

CHELSEA : Principal Sponsor – Three

Earlier this year, British telecom company Three was roped in by Chelsea in an initial three-year deal as principal partner, which would see Three’s “3” logo emblazoned on the front of the Chelsea kits from the 2020-21 season.

The deal came at the back of the previous principal sponsors Yokohama Tyres taking on a lower-tier partnership with the club.

The front-of-shirt sponsorship will reportedly rope in an amount comparable to US$52.5m in revenue which Chelsea were collecting from previous principal sponsor Yokohama.

CRYSTAL PALACE : Principal Sponsor – W88

Asian betting brand W88 signed on as the club’s principal sponsor for the 2020/21 season.

The deal allows W88’s logo to appear on a Premier League shirt for another season after its previous deal with Aston Villa ended after last season.

EVERTON : Principal Sponsor – Cazoo

The Toffees have a new front-of-shirt sponsor this season as they have signed online car platform Cazoo as their official main partner.

The deal, reported to be in excess of US$37m over three years, has seen Cazoo replace Kenyan betting firm SportPesa.

FULHAM : Principal Sponsor – BetVictor

Fulham replaced Philippine gambling firm Dafabet with Gibraltarian bookmaker BetVictor as their principal sponsors ahead of this season in a two-year deal.

LEEDS UNITED : Principal Sponsor – SBOTOP

Betting company SBOTOP signed an official sponsorship deal with Leeds earlier this year in August in what is considered the largest commercial deal in the club’s history.

The deal gives SBOTOP front-of-shirt branding on United’s matchday and training kits.

LEICESTER CITY : Principal Sponsor – Tourism Authority of Thailand

Thailand’s leading travel retail group King Power has owned Leicester City since 2010. Its logo has been emblazoned at the front of the Foxes’ kits since then. As the club’s official shirt partner, Leicester receives an extra US$5.1m in revenue.

Ahead of the 2020-21 season, King Power teamed up with the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The agreement is made as an attempt to support Thailand’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the deal, the slogan “Thailand Smiles With You” will feature at the front of Leicester’s kits instead of “King Power” this season, in order to support tourism to Thailand.

LIVERPOOL : Principal Sponsor – Standard Chartered

Standard Chartered has been the proud principal partner of Liverpool Football Club since 2010. The British multinational banking and financial services company has seen its logo front the Reds’ kits for a decade. Their previous deal was worth around US$38m per annum.

In 2018, Liverpool and Standard Chartered penned a five-year extension to their partnership that has been beneficiary for both parties which would also see a US$13m increase over the previous annual revenue.

Standard Chartered has enjoyed a fruitful global exposure while working with Liverpool, engaging over 37 million people across the club’s platforms, and featuring the club legends of present and past times in its promotional collaborations with the club.

MANCHESTER CITY : Principal Sponsor – Etihad Airways

Man City’s decade-long deal with Etihad Airways runs into its final year ahead of the 2020-21 season. Reportedly worth in excess of US$500m, the deal has brought about a new outlook to the way sports sponsorship deals are made and scrutinised.

Back in 2011, Etihad became the principal sponsor of Man City, acquiring not only the front space of the club’s kits but also the right for the name of their stadium; what was then called the City of Manchester Stadium came to eponymously be called the Etihad.

The Etihad deal has undoubtedly been fundamental in the turn of fortunes City have had over the last decade. When the deal came into being, City were just being touted as the next big prospect. Ten years later, they have four Premier League titles, five League Cups, and two FA Cups, looking forever upwards. The City footballing campus has also been revamped – from the area surrounding the stadium to the new training complex.

The finances of the deal have always been under major scrutiny. Most recently, City owners faced the infamous legal battle against UEFA who accused them of illegally putting money into the club’s coffers, with their fingers pointed to the Etihad sponsorship. While City manage to swat away the allegation, it doesn’t change the fact that the Etihad deal remains shrouded in controversy.

MANCHESTER UNITED : Principal Sponsor – Chevrolet

Manchester United signed a deal with American automobile brand Chevrolet in 2014 as their principal partner and official shirt sponsor, replacing AON at the front of their kits.

The deal, worth US$559m over seven years, was recently extended till December 2021. With no long-term renewal in sight, we might soon see Chevrolet replaced from the front of United’s kits, even midway through the next season, which would be highly unusual, especially for a club like United. That said, United are famously known for making long-term principal sponsorship deals, with Chevrolet only being the fifth one since the deal with Sharp was signed in 1982, but that could all change with the post-COVID economic climate. It is yet to be revealed whether the United-Chevy deal could be extended long-term or the club might go for a different short-term sponsor.

NEWCASTLE UNITED : Principal Sponsor – FUN88

Chinese sports betting firm FUN88 has been Newcastle’s principal sponsor since 2017 – a deal that has seen FUN88’s logo emblazoned across Newcastle’s matchday and training kits.

The previous deal, reportedly worth US$8m annually, was renewed earlier this year in a ‘long-term’ agreement.

SHEFFIELD UNITED : Principal Sponsor – Union Standard Group

Australian global multi-asset broker Union Standard Group (USG) became Sheffield United’s principal sponsor in 2019 in a three-year deal reportedly worth US$4.4m per season. USG serves as both – the principal sponsor and the sleeve sponsor – to the Blades.

However, the deal is currently in jeopardy as USG went into administration earlier this year amidst allegations from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) over the firm’s unconscious action towards its customers. In a worst-case scenario, United’s three-year deal with USG could be cut short, with the former left to find a new sponsor.

SOUTHAMPTON : Principal Sponsor – Sportsbet.io

Cryptocurrency-based online sports betting portal Sportsbet.io was announced as Southapmton’s principal sponsor ahead of the 2020-21 season after their previous deal with Chinese brand LD Sports was cut short.

Described as a sports content, marketing and entertainment platform in China, LD Sports signed a club-record three-year deal US$9.8m annually with the Saints in May 2019. It is reported that LD decided to walk away from the deal amidst rising political tensions between China and the UK.

The principal sponsorship deal between Sportsbet.io and Southampton is a short-term one and is currently set to expire at the end of the 2020-21 season.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR : Principal Sponsor – AIA

Tottenham Hotspur and Hong Kong-based life insurance company AIA Group Limited have enjoyed a long, fruitful partnership. The two first signed a deal back in 2013, which saw AIA become the principal sponsor for the club’s cup matches, with its logo appearing on the front of Spurs’ matchday kits for their cup games.

In 2014, the two expanded their partnership in a new five-year deal reported worth US$20m annually that saw AIA became the club’s principal sponsor for their kits for all competitions. This deal was later extended in 2017 to run until 2022, and last year, in 2019, the two refurbished their deal with an eight-year, US$49.5m-a-year extension.

AIA’s visibility across Spurs’ channels have made the insurance company a household presence across the footballing scene.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION : Principal Sponsor – Ideal Boilers

West Brom announced UK-based heating company Ideal Boilers as their principal sponsors in 2018, replacing construction company Palm. The deal was ranked amongst the top three sponsorship deals in the EFL Championship, English football’s second tier, at the time.

WEST HAM UNITED : Principal Sponsor – Betway

The global online bookmaker has been West Ham’s principal partner since 2015. The deal, initially worth around US$25.6m over the first three years, was extended for further six years last year with annual revenue bumped up to US$12.8m – the biggest in the club’s history.

Betway’s association with the club over last five years has been a fruitful one, with the former partaking in a lot of fan engagement initiatives – the Betway Academy, Betway Fan Taxi and West Ham Supermarket Sweep, to name a few.

However, all’s not rosy for the two parties, as earlier this year Betway was handed a record US$14.9m fine for a series of social responsibility and money laundering failings. While it’s not clear whether this will affect the long-term relationship between Betway and West Ham, this falls into the backdrop of ever-growing tensions between the club hierarchy and the fans, who continue to demand co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold and their vice-chairman Karren Brady to leave the club.

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS : Principal Sponsor – ManBetX

Last year, Wolves announced online sports betting brand ManBetX as their new principal partner and shirt sponsor after they decided to terminate their previous US$6.4m-a-year deal with Asian betting company W88.

As per the deal, ManBetX’s logo appears on the front of the first team, U23s and adult disability teams’ matchday kits, while the Wolves Academy shirts are sponsored by the University of Wolverhampton.

Written By
Anshuman Joshi