Financial services is the leading sponsor industry by number of front-of-shirt and sleeve agreements across Europe’s “Big Five” leagues in 2026/27. Technology’s front-of-shirt presence has doubled, adidas has extended its lead among kit suppliers, and the number of sleeve sponsorship agreements have increased.
In England, the first season without gambling sponsors on the front of Premier League matchday shirts has brought new partners into those positions, while betting brands have turned to sleeves and other assets. These changes are taking place within a European sports sponsorship market worth €20.5 billion in 2025, according to SportBusiness’s European Sponsorship Report 2026, which identifies football as one of the leading recipients of investment.
Following our May analysis, we examine how kit supplier coverage and sponsor industries have changed for 2026/27.
Kit suppliers: adidas extends its lead
Adidas has widened its lead across the Big Five, supplying 26 of the 96 clubs in 2026/27, compared with 23 last season. Its new partnerships include RC Lens, 1. FC Köln and US Lecce.
Hummel recorded the largest increase in club coverage, rising from five to nine. New agreements with AFC Bournemouth and Le Havre AC contributed to that growth, along with promotions of existing partners Coventry City, SC Paderborn 07, and Málaga CF.
Nike has moved into second place, increasing its coverage from 13 clubs to 14, while PUMA’s total has fallen from 15 to 11. Together, adidas, Nike and PUMA supply 51 of the 96 clubs, representing just over half of the market.
Their presence is even stronger among the ten largest kit supplier agreements by reported annual value: adidas holds six, Nike three, and PUMA one. FC Barcelona, Real Madrid CF, Manchester City FC, and Manchester United FC each have agreements reportedly worth more than €100 million annually.
Front-of-shirt sponsors: financial services and technology gain ground
Financial services have strengthened their position as the largest front-of-shirt sponsor category across the Big Five, increasing from 15 agreements in 2025/26 to 21 in 2026/27. Transportation, travel and tourism follows with 13, ahead of construction and real estate with 11 and technology, which has doubled its presence from five agreements to ten.
The analysis covers 98 agreements across 94 clubs, with some clubs having more than one front-of-shirt sponsor, and Sunderland AFC and Sevilla FC remain without a partner at the time of the analysis.
The largest change is the decline in gambling and gaming, from 14 agreements to four. The Premier League’s withdrawal of gambling sponsorship from the front of matchday shirts, effective from the start of this season, has been the driver, with clubs turning to other industries for replacement partners.
According to Ampere Analysis, eight clubs that remained in the Premier League replaced gambling front-of-shirt sponsorship agreements worth £67 million annually with new deals valued at £75 million. Across the league, front-of-shirt sponsorship revenues increased 8% to £444 million for 2026/27.
At the highest-value end of the market, airlines account for four of the five largest front-of-shirt agreements across the Big Five: Emirates’ partnerships with Real Madrid CF and Arsenal FC, Manchester City FC’s agreement with Etihad Airways, and Paris Saint-Germain FC’s partnership with Qatar Airways.
Sleeve sponsors: a growing market with a different sector mix
Sleeve sponsorship agreements across the Big Five have increased from 76 to 85 in 2026/27. Financial services is also the largest industry in this category with 22 agreements, followed by industrial goods with ten. Automotive has grown from six to eight agreements, while construction and real estate has increased from four to seven.
A further 16 agreements fall within “Other”, spanning 12 industries with one or two deals each, including professional and business services, food manufacturing and distribution, e-commerce, and energy and utilities.
Gambling and gaming agreements have risen from six to nine. In England, sleeves offer a way to retain sponsors displaced from the front of the shirt. For example, Everton FC’s former main sponsor, Stake, has moved to the sleeve. According to Ampere Analysis, betting brands now account for 20% of Premier League sleeve sponsorship spending, up from 3% last season.
Technology shows the opposite pattern, with sleeve agreements falling from eight to three while front-of-shirt agreements doubled to ten.
New partners and a changing sponsorship mix
In May, we highlighted the opportunity for new sponsor industries to enter the market and the likelihood of betting brands shifting towards other assets in England. Both developments are now visible in the 2026/27 agreements, alongside growth in sleeve sponsorship across the Big Five.
Which of these industries will establish a longer-term presence in football, and where will the next wave of partners come from?
Football Benchmark’s Club Finance & Operations platform includes a continuously updated database of sponsorship agreements across the “Big Five” leagues and other major competitions. Users can access and benchmark thousands of deals, including main shirt sponsors, kit suppliers, sleeve partners and stadium naming rights, with search functionality across industry, country, league, brand, timeframe, deal type and, where available, reported value. Football Benchmark also supports rights-holders and brands with sponsorship valuation services, helping stakeholders assess the fair value of football sponsorship assets.
