The Premier League's shirt sponsorship revenue now dwarfs the rest of Europe
The value of The Premier League shirt sponsorships has increased by almost £70m this season, far more than any other league in Europe.
Shirt sponsorship revenue in the Premier League has grown from £193m (€244m) to £260m (€330m) in the past year, marking a 35 per cent jump since last season.
The data comes from a new report by sports industry adviser Repucom which analysed football shirt sponsorship across Europe’s top six leagues: England's Premier League; Germany's Bundesliga; Spain’s La Liga; France’s Ligue 1; Italy's Serie A, and the Netherlands’ Eredivisie.
The sponsorship appeal of England’s top flight continues to rise with 40 per cent of all shirt sponsorship revenues across Europe now generated in the Premier League.
Overall investment in football shirt sponsorship has grown by 13 per cent to £655m across all of the six leagues since last year, illustrating the sport’s growing appeal and reach as a result of global broadcast deals.
Interest from abroad is a key driver in the Premier League’s shirt sponsorship revenue with foreign companies contributing 82 per cent at £313m. The trend also applies across Europe’s other leagues which generated £404m, 62 per cent, of their revenue from foreign companies.
Betting companies now have a huge footing in the market and have significantly contributed to the overall growth after increasing their investment by 180 per cent since last year.
Jon Stainer, managing director for Repucom UK and Ireland, said: "At its current rate of growth, we could see European football shirt sponsorship investment top €1bn within the next few seasons.
“For brands, shirt sponsorship consistently returns the highest advertising values but it is key to understand which clubs and leagues present the best opportunities.
“The rise of betting companies across the leagues, for example, is something certainly worth noting, especially as we start to see markets like the Netherlands and Germany reduce the restrictions on betting sponsorship. We’re seeing the industry return to where it was in 2011. Companies such as Betway, bet-at-home, Dafabet and Mansion have ensured the betting industry has jumped from being the 11th biggest investor in European shirt sponsorship to being sixth.”
The Premier League's decision to drop its title sponsor in favour of a clean brand strategy will likely help its clubs extend their commercial value beyond TV and extend the league's dominance over the rest of Europe with shirt sponsorships.