The long-term sponsors and new entrants who will be making their mark in the Premier League this season.
The 2022/23 season is underway with a host of global brands sponsoring in the Premier League to drive key objectives of global awareness, trust, customer acquisition and retention. In total, brands will spend over £1.3bn to sponsor in the Premier League this year. Comprised of a combination of long-term sponsors and new entrants, this article looks at the most notable sponsors to look out for.
Key Long-Term Brand Sponsors
- Emirates | Stadium Naming Rights & Shirt Sponsor, Arsenal
The longest running Premier League shirt sponsorship and part of a wider European sponsorship strategy, incl. Real Madrid & AC Milan front-of-shirt. Providing Emirates with a visible presence in one of their key global markets, the airline drive huge global awareness by aligning with Arsenal, with 88% of match-going fans stating they are aware of the partnership*. Testament to the success of this collaboration is the way in which competitors have adopted similar strategies, namely Etihad with Manchester City.
- Standard Chartered | Shirt Sponsor, Liverpool
Delivering huge brand exposure for Standard Chartered, including in key Asia & MENA regions (1.5bn annual Premier League viewership). As a multi-market brand, the deal provides large economies of scale, with Standard Chartered leveraging the partnership to drive business goals throughout the sales funnel. The partnership also offers the global bank with a platform to amplify their sustainability & community investment programmes, raising over £500,000 since 2010. For other financial service businesses sponsoring in the Premier League, see AIA (Tottenham front-of-shirt), Barclays (Globa league partner) & AXA (Liverpool training wear).
- EA | Global Partner, Premier League
2022/23 will be a key year as EA prepares to part ways with long-time partner FIFA, bringing an end to a 30-year association and the iconic eponymously titled franchise as we know it. As they independently enter a new frontier, EA’s first steps have been to announce a series of partnerships with leading Premier League clubs, including Manchester City, Liverpool & Chelsea. With the developers first stand alone title scheduled for autumn 2023, look out for more high-profile partnerships as we ahead towards the inaugural EA Sports FC release.
Key New Brand Sponsors
- WhaleFin & Chelsea, Tezos & Man Utd, OKX & Man City | Crypto & Blockchain
Over the past two years, sports sponsorship investment by crypto and blockchain brands has surged, with £600m+ invested in global teams, leagues and ambassador partnerships. In 22/23 brands in the sector have started to invest heavily in high-profile uniform positions in the Premier League, namely Whalefin (Chelsea sleeve), Tezos (Man Utd training wear) and OKX (Man City training wear), looking to capitalise on the global awareness, trust and credibility that sponsoring in the league provides.
- TeamViewer and DXC Tech & Manchester United | IT & Services
TeamViewer & DXC entered the league over the past 12 months, buying notable kit positions with Manchester United (shirt & sleeve respectively). As B2B focused brands, the partnerships will help both companies to drive key business goals incl. product integration, case study enhancement and CSR initiatives, leading to new business acquisition focused on their desired Fortune 500 client profile.
- Stake.com & Everton | Online Casino & Sports Betting
Following a successful first season in the Premier League with Watford, Stake.com expanded their strategy in 22/23 as shirt sponsor of Everton in a long-term deal. As a shirt sponsor at one of the league’s most historic club’s, Stake will become a key part of the Premier League narrative at some of the world’s most watched matches, including the famous Merseyside Derby. They deal also comes at a key point in the club’s history as Everton prepare to make the move from their historic Goodison Park stadium to their new state-of-the-art stadium on Liverpool’s world-famous waterfront.
- Cinch & Tottenham | Online Automotive Marketplace
Over the past two years, sports sponsorship has become a key tool for new online automotive marketplaces to launch their brands and increase market share in the UK’s £50bn used car market. Cinch and Cazoo have led this investment, buying prominent uniform positions at famous Premier League clubs, including Tottenham, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, with Cinch’s sleeve sponsorship of Spurs the highest investment to date (approx. £8m p/a). As digital-focused businesses, the brands utilise extensive digital and social rights, as well as huge match day exposure, to drive return on their investment.
Looking to learn more about sports sponsorship opportunities in your brand sector? Get in touch with the SportQuake team.
*Source: Sponsorlink, Repucom