The Value of EPL Shirt Sponsorship 

A brief look through the team kits in the English Premier League reveals a wide range of companies and brands. From airlines to credit cards and semiconductor manufacturers, having a logo on a sports shirt is a serious marketing move. It aligns a brand with one of the biggest sporting teams and leagues in the world. This does not come without cost, though it brings in huge revenue for the teams themselves. 

How Much Does Shirt Sponsorship Cost?

Figures vary on how much shirt sponsorship costs. It is also usually part of a wider deal bundled with other advertising and promotion campaigns. Yet shirt sponsorship runs from between £4m for newly promoted clubs all the way to £60m for the heavy hitters.

Added to this are other costs. Sports companies will pay to create kits, with some providing as much as £90m in revenue. Further sponsorship can be made as sleeve sponsors, which can generate £20m for larger clubs and in the region of £1m for smaller ones. 

It should be noted that this is not all cut and dry. Very often, contracts have clauses put into them based on performance. This means if squads do not play as expected, they may end up losing out on money or paying some back. 

Gambling Sector Sponsorship

Source: Pexels

The gambling sector is a large driver of revenue when it comes to shirt sponsorship. For the 2025/26 season, eleven clubs had front-of-shirt advertising that featured either a casino or sportsbook. Predictions are that if clubs didn’t have gambling sponsors, they could expect a reduction of around 20% in revenue. 

Companies such as these have become huge over the last few years. By providing traditional casino games that can be played on mobile, alongside innovative bingo slots such as the hybrid game Slingo, they have managed to attract a whole new audience and demographics. This goes beyond sport, and operators now aim to provide games that attract wide audiences.

Next season, changes will mean these companies will no longer be displayed on shirt fronts. However, they are still allowed elsewhere on kits and in stadium sponsorship. 

The Shifting Sector

There are some interesting trends emerging from shirt sponsorship that we may see more of over the coming years. One is the use of tourism boards sponsoring clubs. This is a way for them to adjust perceptions of destinations. A perfect example of this is Emirates, which has used shirt sponsorship to attract people to the Middle East. 

The tech sector is also beginning to become a force, increasingly showing the EPL’s position as a global brand, alongside the likes of the NFL and NBA. This also comes with an increase in American companies investing in UK football, showing that its appeal to US audiences is growing. 

Thus, shirt sponsorship is a very complex situation. It brings in revenue but is also a complex web of brand marketing and awareness. It will continue to bring revenue into the next season and may even bring more as the reach of the EPL grows across the globe.