By Andrea Caropreso
Index
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Sponsors have a crucial role in the football wolrd. Advertising, in fact, heavily influences football and, above all, the business model of clubs. These are guaranteed revenues, as they come from contracts signed between clubs and brands, and they are second only to TV rights in terms of financial impact.
The Impact
Sponsors account for a large share of the market, allowing clubs to afford top players — but not only that. Investments also extend to infrastructure, technology, and all the tools modern clubs need to keep up with the times, all of which come at a cost. These are (partly) covered by the fresh money brands provide in exchange for visibility through association with the club’s name.
These benefits are mutual. On one side, clubs receive a significant part of their revenue, and on the other, brands increase their visibility through football. Sometimes, this turns into collaborations that aim to promote advertising campaigns built on shared values (such as fighting racism) to influence the public.
Sponsorships Related to Betting
Over the past 40 years, sponsorships have varied widely. However, one particularly dominant trend in Italy — and across Europe — has been sponsorship by betting companies. The UEFA report “The UEFA European Club Finance and Investment Landscape” highlighted an interesting figure: of 700 clubs across Europe’s top leagues, 23% had jerseys sponsored by betting companies.
In England alone, until recently, nearly half of the clubs had partnerships with betting brands. This trend is now gradually declining, as there’s a move toward aligning with partners that reflect stronger ethical values than those associated with gambling. This remains a key issue in Italy.
In 2018, the “Dignity Decree” banned football clubs from partnering with betting companies, cutting off a lucrative market. However, the situation has recently changed. Last March, the Italian Senate approved — as part of football reform — the possibility for betting companies to engage in indirect advertising.
Top 10 Sponsorships
It may seem obvious, but the clubs leading this ranking are also those dominating on the field. This confirms that the bigger the club name, the greater the attractiveness for sponsors — which leads to more funds that can be reinvested into strengthening the club on all fronts.
Here’s the ranking of the top 10 clubs by annual shirt sponsorship revenue:
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Real Madrid – €260 million
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Manchester United – €200 million
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Barcelona – €183 million
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Manchester City – €171.5 million
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Paris Saint-Germain – €170 million
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Arsenal – €141.5 million
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Bayern Munich – €123 million
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Liverpool – €102.5 million
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Borussia Dortmund – €99 million
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Tottenham – €80 million
In this context, Chelsea’s case is worth noting. Despite being owned by wealthy investors and being a top-tier club, the Blues are absent from this ranking. Two reasons explain this: the expiry of their previous deal with Infinite Athletic, and their poor on-field performance. In fact, underwhelming results can influence brand decisions — which also explains the absence of major Italian clubs like Juventus and Milan.
By Andrea Caropreso
