The Premier League‘s ban on gambling companies serving as front-of-shirt sponsors begins next season, and things are looking bleak for several clubs seeking new sponsorship deals.
Nine teams haven’t secured deals for the most coveted jersey spot next season, and 12 others are without signed contracts. An anonymous club executive noted that the “collective loss of income from shirt deals could be as high as £80m next season.”
When the Premier League agreed to a voluntary ban three years ago, and then delayed it another year until the 2026-27 season, it was designed to give clubs ample time to secure new sponsorship deals. Unfortunately, multiple teams might start next season without a shirt sponsor.
Teams Outside ‘Big Six’ Struggle With Lesser Deals
The “Big Six” Premier League teams include Arsenal (sponsored by Emirates), Liverpool (Standard Chartered), Manchester City (Etihad Airways), Manchester United (Snapdragon), Tottenham (AIA), and Chelsea. All of these clubs, aside from Chelsea, have front-of-shirt deals worth between £40–£60 million per year.
Chelsea, whose deal with AI company IFS concludes at this season’s end, has started each of the last three campaigns without a front-of-shirt sponsor.
The struggle largely persists outside of the “Big Six” clubs. While Bournemouth announced a deal with stadium sponsor Vitality for the front-of-shirt next season, it was a “cut-price deal” worth £4m annually that’s “indicative of the state of the market.”
Everton and Fulham are in “advanced negotiations with the foreign exchange trader CMC markets that would see the company sponsor both clubs in deals that will bring a modest increase on their existing contracts with Stake and SBOBet.” However, the remaining seven teams with gambling companies have yet to strike a deal with a new sponsor.
“Nearly everyone is losing money,” a senior club executive said. “Outside the big six, shirt sponsorship offers have dropped by around 50% from a range of between £8m and £12m a season. There may be some exceptions, but it is a very difficult market.
“And with some clubs opting to switch sleeve or training kit partners to front-of-shirt, there is a knock-on effect for those deals too.”
Notably, Everton (Stake) and West Ham (Boyle Sports) will shift their shirt sponsors to sleeves next season. Gambling companies can still be promoted on sleeves and advertising boards.
Everton might be in search of another sponsor after the UK government announced that it intends to ban unlicensed gambling companies from sponsoring teams. Crypto casino Stake, which is blocked in the UK, is Everton’s current sponsor.
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