Record Growth in Just Three Months
Combined sponsorship spending across Europe’s top five leagues — the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 — has already hit $1.1 billion (€0.94 billion) only three months into the 2025/26 season, according to new research from Ampere Analysis.
The report highlights a vibrant and evolving sponsorship ecosystem, as clubs adapt to flat media-rights revenues by attracting new categories of global brands.
The Big Picture: $5.4 Billion and Counting
Ampere’s analysis reveals that total annual sponsorship spend across Europe’s “Big Five” leagues and participating clubs has now reached $5.4 billion, marking a strong rebound in commercial confidence post-pandemic.
What’s most striking is the pace and diversity of new deals:
- 53% of all newly signed sponsorships this season come from first-time entrants — brands that have never previously invested in European football.
- Among them are names like Robinhood, BYD, Vodafone, Louis Vuitton, Visit Maldives, Stanley 1913, and even the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, signalling how football is attracting non-traditional partners seeking global visibility.
Sectoral Shifts: Who’s Spending More — and Who’s Pulling Back
Ampere’s data reveals clear shifts in where sponsorship money is flowing this season:
Sectors On the Rise:
- Financial Services: up 6 points to 16% of all new deals.
- Drinks: up 2 points to 10%.
- Automotive & Vehicles: up 2 points to 7%.
- Consumer Goods: up 4 points to 7%.
- Sports Apparel & Equipment: up 3 points to 6%.
Sectors Losing Ground:
- Construction: down 3 points to 3%.
- Heavy Industry: down 3 points to 3%.
- Food: down 2 points to 2%.
- Professional Services: down 2 points to 2%.
The data reflects an unmistakable pivot — away from traditional industrial partners and toward consumer-facing, lifestyle-oriented, and tech-enabled brands.
New Entrants, New Energy
Within the first quarter of the season, trading and forex platforms, luxury clothing brands, and household goods companies have already outpaced their total deal count from the entire 2024/25 campaign.
This surge demonstrates a renewed appetite for brand association with football, particularly among digital-first companies and emerging markets seeking global reach through the sport’s unparalleled exposure.
The Adidas–Nike Rivalry: Europe’s Kit War Intensifies
Ampere estimates that Adidas has boosted its kit supplier spending by over $100 million for 2025/26, reaffirming its dominance in European football sponsorship. The German brand now represents 11% of total sponsorship value across the top five leagues — up from 9% last season.
Nike, by contrast, has seen its share slip to 6% (down from 8%), as it adopts a more selective, storytelling-led approach to partnerships.
This fierce rivalry underscores how apparel deals remain among the most visible and influential sponsorship assets in world sport.
International Money Dominates
According to Ampere, 76% of total sponsorship spending now comes from international investors — companies headquartered outside the domestic markets of the respective leagues.
That share continues to grow across the Premier League, Serie A, and Ligue 1, reflecting the globalization of football as both a media product and investment platform.
From sovereign wealth funds to fintech startups, international capital is increasingly underwriting European football’s commercial engine.
Industry Insight
Ed Keppie, Senior Analyst at Ampere Analysis, summarized the trend:
“Sponsorship is an important revenue stream to clubs and leagues tackling stagnating media-rights revenues. Banking $1 billion in new sponsorship deals within the first three months of the 2025/26 season is a huge positive for the industry. With first-time sponsors driving more than half of all new deals, the European football sponsorship market’s health is not only holding up — it’s broadening.”
The Business Implications Behind the Numbers
This data represents more than just an economic bounce — it’s a structural evolution in how football monetizes attention.
Key Strategic Takeaways:
- Diversification of Brand Base: The influx of new industries shows football’s growing relevance beyond traditional markets, particularly in fintech, luxury, and government tourism.
- Shift Toward Global Investment: With 3 in 4 sponsorship dollars coming from abroad, European clubs are no longer local assets — they’re global media platforms.
- Brand ROI Evolution: Sponsors are moving from visibility to utility, seeking deeper fan integration, digital engagement, and data-driven storytelling.
- Resilience Amid Rights Plateau: As broadcasting revenues stagnate, sponsorships are filling the growth gap — offering financial flexibility to clubs facing competitive wage and transfer pressures.
The next phase of growth will depend on how clubs package their global reach, narrative identity, and fan ecosystems into sponsorships that transcend geography and seasonality.
European football’s sponsorship ecosystem is entering a new era — borderless, digital, and increasingly investor-led.
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