One sport with passionate fans all over the world is soccer, and their athletes are among the most celebrated. The pride with which we put on our club’s jersey on game days, coupled with the game’s advertising opportunities is the reason many companies compete for endorsement or sponsorship deals. Most top teams rely on sponsorship deals to pay for the exorbitant players’ salaries. Team jerseys offer two income streams; a contract with the company that produces them and the companies that have the jerseys branded for advertisement purposes. Here are 7 top pro soccer sponsorships.
Nike and Barcelona
Nike failed to continue sponsoring other big clubs but went on to initiate the 2nd sponsorship record in 2016 with a 10-year,
£1.2 billion deal with Barcelona. It was regarded as a smart move to boost their diminishing market dominance.
Adidas and Real Madrid
Following the record that was broken in 2014, Adidas proceeded to set another record by offering Real Madrid a 10-year kit sponsorship with a value placed at £1 billion. This is triple of the sum of previous deals, and although financial analysts thought it was going to create an inflationary spiral, the company considered it a logical move.
Adidas and Manchester United
Before Manchester United signed a kit sponsorship with Adidas, Nike was the club’s official kit sponsor. The sponsorship, signed in 2014, marked the beginning of a 10-year deal worth £750 million. This singular deal set a new bar for kit manufacturers and initiated higher deals in the years that followed.
Chevrolet and Manchester United
Football sponsorship trends took a different turn when Chevrolet initiated a sponsorship deal with Manchester United for a 7-year contract. The deal, worth £53 million annually was double the sum of previous deals and marked a new standard for football sponsorships.
Yokohama and Chelsea
After Samsung had failed to outmatch Yokohama’s offer, Chelsea signed a five-year contract deal which was worth double of their previous sponsorship deal. This lucrative contract was the second Chelsea got after their kit sponsorship deal with Adidas in 2014.
Emirates and Arsenal
Arsenal is one of the most celebrated clubs in England and considered one of the top earners regarding sponsorship deals. Arsenal currently earns $34 million in kits sponsorship deal with Puma, and another with Emirates which pays nearly $46 million annually.
Adidas and Real Madrid
Its position as the most valuable sports team in the world with a net worth of £2.5 billion may explain why it has the top soccer sponsors. Real Madrid currently earns $34 million yearly from jersey sponsorship by Emirates and $36 million from kit sponsorship by Adidas.
