When people talk about football sponsorships, most people think about the controversial marketing agreements between online casinos and betting sites and English Premier League football clubs. However, what most people don’t realise is that football clubs have struck sponsorship deals with other companies too, and some of them have been big.
The folks at Sister Sites, a comparison website and active supporters of the responsible gambling movement in Great Britain, has put together a list of the biggest sponsorship deals in Premier League,
Real Madrid and Adidas
Back in August 2019, Real Madrid announced a gigantic €1.2 billion sponsorship deal with Adidas for a twelve-year period. Under the sponsorship, Adidas displays its logo on Real Madrid kits with the team earning €120 million per season, making Real Madrid the highest-paid team sponsored by the German corporation.
In addition to its deal with Adidas, Real Madrid has also signed a sponsorship deal with Arabic airline Emirates through which the Spanish football team earns an extra €70 million per season, making them one of the highest-earning football clubs around.
Manchester United and Chevrolet
Back in 2012, Manchester United announced a giant sponsorship with car manufacturer Chevrolet starting from the 2014-15 season. The sponsorship is set to run through to 2021, offering the football team a whopping $80 million a year, and the agreement sees Chevrolet display its logo on the Manchester United jersey.
In addition to a sponsorship with Chevrolet, Manchester United has also partnered with Adidas for a ten-year period. Adidas is responsible for manufacturing Manchester United’s kit, and the deal is worth an estimated £750 million, which is huge!
Barcelona and Rakuten
Back in 2016, Barcelona signed a football shirt sponsorship with Rakuten, a Japanese electronic online trailer. The sponsorship launched with the 2017-18 season and was initially agreed to run for four years, earning the team a total of around £188 million in total. However, in November 2020 FC Barcelona announced an extension to the sponsorship of one season to June 2021, giving the popular football team more time to earn from the tech company.
In addition to its partnership with Rakuten, FC Barcelona currently also has sponsorships with Beko & UNICEF and has continued its partnership with Nike as its kit manufacturer which was first signed back in 1998.
Football Sponsorships: Why Are They So Important?
Those aren’t the only big football sponsorship deals that have been made, with some of them being huge. With all of that in mind, it’s easy to see that there are plenty of sponsorships within the football industry, and they’re incredibly important.
The reason for this is that these sponsorships help fund football clubs and keep them going. These large deals help pay players and managers help support each football clubs’ local community, and they do so much more.
So while many people frown down upon these sponsorships, they’re incredibly important to the continued success of football, and we can expect them to continue in the years to come – so keep your eyes peeled for even bigger sponsorship deals!
