Bundesliga: shirt sleeve sponsors of the clubs in 2017-18

17 of the 18 Bundesliga clubs began the 2017-18 season with a shirt sleeve sponsor on 18/08/2017. Only the promoted club SC Freiburg has not yet formalised such a partnership as of 08/09/2017.

The DFL authorised the 36 clubs of the Bundesliga and the 2.Bundesliga to market the left shirt sleeve area of the official kits from the 2017-18 season on 02/12/2015. The German logistics company Hermes, a major partner of the DFL until the end of the 2016-17 season, had paid an estimated annual amount of €8m to affix its logo to the left sleeve of the shirts of the 36 German clubs, since 01/01/2013.

As of 08/09/2017, shirt sleeve sponsorshi brings a minimum of €38m per season to the Bundesliga clubs, almost 5 times more than the Hermes group paid. Of the 17 contracts concluded as of 05/09/2017, nine were signed with companies which already partnered with the club concerned, and eight with new sponsors.

The median contract was concluded with a German company for a period of two seasons and an estimated annual amount of €1.5m. The retail and distribution sector (three contracts) is the most…