Premier League clubs are reshaping their commercial agreements ahead of the 2026-27 season after a voluntary ban on gambling companies appearing on the front of shirts took effect, forcing eight teams to replace betting sponsors used last campaign.
The change follows the league-wide vote in April 2023 and ends more than two decades in which gambling companies became increasingly prominent on Premier League kits. Eleven of the 20 clubs had betting or casino brands on the front of their shirts in each of the past two seasons.
Chelsea and Sunderland remain without confirmed front-of-shirt sponsors. Nottingham Forest also entered preseason without one after removing Bally’s branding but has since agreed a deal with global financial services company Marex.
Chelsea is understood to value its front-of-shirt rights at around £50 million ($68.18 million) and has so far been unwilling to accept a lower long-term agreement. Kieran Maguire, professor of football finance at the University of Liverpool, told BBC Sport the difficulty reflects a gap between clubs’ own valuations and what sponsors are prepared to pay, as well as the reduced pool of potential partners following the gambling ban.
“Chelsea in particular have struggled in recent seasons, as the club wants a long-term deal at a price that they consider reflects their current status as Fifa Club World Cup champions,” Maguire said.
Several clubs have replaced gambling companies with businesses from other sectors. Crystal Palace has moved to technology company Temporal, while Fulham has signed with ClickHouse. Together with Ipswich and Manchester United, four Premier League clubs will have technology sponsors this season.
Finance is now the largest sponsorship category among the 17 clubs with confirmed front-of-shirt deals, accounting for five teams. Everton has signed with CMC Markets, while other gambling agreements have been replaced by companies operating in insurance, tourism and recruitment.
The shift comes as the value of Premier League commercial rights continues to rise. Maguire said commercial revenue has increased “by nearly 4,000% from £58m to £2.4bn in 2024-25”, with the league’s expanding global broadcast reach supporting higher sponsorship fees.
The difference between the league’s largest clubs and the rest remains significant. Manchester United’s front-of-shirt agreement with Snapdragon is estimated at around £60 million ($81.81 million) a year, while newly promoted clubs may struggle to secure more than £5 million ($6.82 million) to £6 million ($8.18 million) annually.
Tottenham’s £34 million ($46.36 million), four-year agreement with Mansion in 2006 was an early landmark in the growth of betting sponsorship, and by 2017-18 nine Premier League clubs carried gambling brands on their shirts. Twenty years on, the big six are signing deals which dwarf that.
The new restriction applies only to the front of shirts, leaving other commercial positions available. Betano has moved from Aston Villa’s shirt front to its sleeve, while Everton has shifted Stake.com branding to the same position. Bournemouth will carry MrQ on its sleeve and SBK on training wear.
Manchester United has also agreed a multi-year training kit deal with Betway estimated at up to £20 million ($27.27 million) a year, highlighting the growing value of secondary sponsorship inventory.
“The big six clubs are looking for a minimum of £10m per season, and can double this if there are secondary relationships with the sponsors,” Maguire said.
Cryptocurrency companies could face further scrutiny as they increase their presence on Premier League apparel. BingX sponsors Chelsea and OKX has a sleeve agreement with Manchester City, while the Financial Conduct Authority has described some such arrangements as “questionable sponsorship deals with unauthorised financial firms”.