8 Premier League Clubs Replace Gambling Sponsors as Finance Overtakes Tech on 17 Shirts
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 13
8 Premier League Clubs Replace Gambling Sponsors as Finance Overtakes Tech on 17 Shirts
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 13
Summary
Eight Premier League clubs had to find new front-of-shirt sponsors after a voluntary ban on gambling logos took effect, with Nottingham Forest, Sunderland and Chelsea still without confirmed long-term deals.
Finance now leads the market with five sponsors across 17 confirmed shirts, while four clubs have tech partners; Crystal Palace and Fulham switched from betting brands to AI and technology companies.
The ban hit a league where 11 of 20 clubs had gambling sponsors in each of the past two seasons, largely among teams outside the big six that could not command top-tier commercial fees.
Front-of-shirt deals have become far more valuable as the Premier League's global reach expanded, with commercial revenue rising nearly 4,000% from £58 million to £2.4 billion in 2024-25.
Betting brands may not disappear entirely: five clubs have confirmed gambling logos somewhere on clothing, and crypto firms are emerging on sleeves and training wear as the next sponsorship battleground.
With top clubs struggling to secure sponsors, has the front-of-shirt gambling ban secretly destroyed the financial competitiveness of smaller Premier League teams?
As Premier League clubs lose millions from the gambling sponsor ban, will controversial crypto deals become football's next major financial scandal?