Premier League soccer kicked off a new season with a few interesting changes to the jersey sponsors. The kits worn by the 20 Premier League teams sport some of the trademark sponsorships, plus a few new names have jumped onto some jerseys for the new season. Since the sale of promotional jerseys is vital to the league’s financial stability, the introduction of some new styles and sponsors has caught the eye of soccer enthusiasts.
Adidas Still the Leader
Most teams continue to carry the reputation of their dedicated sponsorships onto the field. Adidas continues as the most visible sponsor in Premier League soccer, adorning nearly a quarter of the team jerseys. Puma and Umbro split an even 15% share of exposure, with the rest of the kit sponsorship evenly divided among the remaining seven primary marketers.
Sports Brands Maintain Presence
Ten different sports brands will provide kit sponsorship for the 20 Premier League teams. While many of the household names such as Nike, Adidas and Puma continue, seven new sponsors are set for the new season. New Balance, Umbro, Dryworld, Joma, Macron, JD and Under Armor, will sponsor Premier League kits for 2016.
Gaming Industry
Over the last couple of seasons, the gaming industry has stepped into the jersey sponsorship mix. The most prominent sponsorship is Dafabet, which blends three kit designs for the defending champion Burnley squad with designer Puma.
About half the teams sport sponsorship logos from the betting industry. Bet365 and Betway team up with two of the new sports brand sponsors – Macron and Umbro to label the jerseys for Stoke City and West Ham United. Sunderland will also have their team jersey sponsored by Dafabet.
Moving On
One big change that Premier League fans may notice is a parting of ways between longtime sponsorship partners Chelsea and Adidas. Chelsea has chosen to buy out their deal for an estimated ÂŁ54m 6 years before the deal was to officially end in 2023. Yokohama Tires will remain the brand sponsor, but Chelsea has chosen to pursue a different course from what was once the largest sponsorship deal in Premier League history.
Longtime Sponsor Steps Away
One sponsor is notably missing from the 2016-17-kit overview. Barclays has not only stepped away from jersey marketing, but also the league will no longer bear the sponsorship name of the British Bank.
Another ironic twist to this year’s jersey lineup is Southampton being required to generate a third Under Armor kit with sponsor Virgin Media. Seems the original third kit was a yellow too similar to their home jersey. The retired uniform may be somewhat of a collectible since it is reportedly not going to be available for sale.
It’s an exciting new year for jersey sponsorship in the Premier League. Fans will have seven new sponsors and still have access to many of the household jersey names. It’s a new year with new colors and new jerseys, the most important one being the last one waving as champion.