Getting a brand on a football jersey can be the mark of a recognisable industry icon. Over the years, a number of the most prominent companies in the world have had their logos and names branded across football kits for the eyes of millions to see. As football continues to grow, this has only brought in even bigger sponsors with even bigger brand names. In this one, we will be looking at some of the biggest new shirt sponsors to enter the beautiful game in recent years.
Biggest New Shirt Sponsors in Football
Crypto (Various)
Various cryptocurrencies and their associated platforms have surfaced in recent years. With crypto gaining many new proponents in 2024, it’s no wonder we’ve seen a rise in sponsorship for coveted competitions like the Champions League. A cryptocurrency website with deep pockets has everything to gain from the massive exposure various football associations will offer.
Clubs early on the crypto bandwagon include Manchester United, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Manchester City, and Galatasaray.
Jordan
While not the main front of shirt sponsor, the iconic Jordan Brand has gotten involved with juggernauts Paris Saint-Germain, having the infamous Michael Jordan logo on the corner of the shirts and being credited as the maker every single year. Michael Jordan is still one of the biggest names in the sporting world, and the Jordan brand still carries immense value, largely due to their work in the show industry.
By pairing with European giants like PSG, they have ensured that their branding will remain at the forefront of football with the Ligue 1 side bearing the logo during their march through the Champions League.
Apple TV
Apple remains one of the biggest brands in the entire world even as they branch out into different industries like streaming. Their partnership with the MLS has seen them become one of the names associated with soccer in the United States.
As part of an agreement Apple TV logo badge appears on the sleeve of every single club in the competition. Making it an unavoidable brand to see during a match no matter what team you’re a fan of.
This deal ensures that as the MLS grows it will be associated with Apple TV and Apple products, a win-win for two massive brands working together to grow the game and Apple’s presence as a streaming service.
Infinite Athlete
Despite being linked to a floundering Chelsea team, Infinite Athlete made a surprising statement when they became the main sponsor for the Blues last season. The company excels in sports technology but hadn’t really made a mark on the mainstream.
That was, until their partnership with Chelsea. Infinite Athlete went from an award winning company to a recognisable brand thanks to a generous front-of-shirt display on the kit of one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Spotify
You’d have to be living under a rock to not know Spotify, but even if you didn’t they made a pretty massive statement when they entered the football world in an agreement with European giants Barcelona. The music streaming service not only has a shirt sponsor for one of the most recognisable clubs in the world but they have their name attached to the legendary stadium now known as the Spotify Camp Nou.
It doesn’t get much bigger than two of the biggest entities in their own field joining together for such a historic partnership. Spotify and Barcelona is a match almost made in heaven due to the major status of both parties and the benefits of the agreement.
Snapdragon
Manchester United are quite possibly the biggest football club in the world. Despite their recent woes in the league they remain a franchise with millions of fans across the globe, that recognisable aspect makes them attractive to sponsors and provides an opportunity for an already major brand to make a big sponsorship move.
Snapdragon recently took the mantle and became the main front-of-shirt sponsor for the Red Devils in a pretty monumental deal, it is one of the biggest per-season deals in football and allows the company to make their mark on the world. Snapdragon is a pretty major tech company but it’s not exactly a name most people would know like Samsung or Apple.
By associating themselves with THE Manchester United, the company ensured that they would have prominent advertising on one of the most-watched football teams in the world, likely launching itself into a new level of notoriety with the public.
