Shirt sponsorship backlash “is a bit naive” – analyst comment

Premier League clubs have voluntarily agreed to ban front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships from the 2026/27 season, but that has done nothing to stop a raft of lucrative marketing deals being signed ahead of the forthcoming campaign.

This summer, many Premier League teams have actually doubled down on their partnership with gambling firms, securing a last hurrah with the industry as front-facing shirt sponsors.

At the latest tally, 11 Premier League teams have signed up with betting firms ahead of the new season – a 38% increase on the eight clubs from last year.

According to exclusive data from ClickOut Media brand Sportscasting.com, Premier League clubs had more betting and gaming sponsors than any other top five league in Europe last season.

That data shows that 85% of Premier League clubs boasted a betting partner in some capacity, while more than half (55%) signed a partnership with a crypto sponsor, with those figures almost certain to rise even higher in 2024/25.

Just two out of 20 Premier League clubs did not sign a deal with either a betting company or a crypto company last season, and both were relegated: Burnley and Luton Town.

The backlash has been as swift as it was inevitable, with campaigners lobbying for a further reduction of gambling sponsorships. The Guardian ran a story on “greed” after one gambling-harm reduction charity described the latest signings as “desperate deals for a few extra quid”.

However, ClickOut Media analyst Neil Roarty believes it’s a bit naive to expect businesses not to operate like, well, businesses.

He said: “For fans, football is a whole host of things: nostalgia, emotion, fun, a past-time, a passion. But for the clubs themselves, it’s all of that plus the livelihood of hundreds of people.

“Football, like all other professional sports, isn’t just a game – it’s a business. And like most businesses, they need to make money.

“While I can understand the concerns around gambling advertisers from supporters, many clubs have already taken steps to avoid the more harmful aspects – by leaving sponsorships off youth jerseys for example.

“Most football fans simply want the shirt to look great and the brand on the front of it is a secondary consideration.”