Stadium naming rights, betting operators, the 2026 World Cup comping up... a look at sponsorship in 2025

For the first time in 2023, sponsorship surpassed TV rights as the main revenue stream for clubs in the European Top 5 (generating €8.9bn), according to UEFA in its annual report "The European Club Finance and Investment Landscape" published on 07/03/2025. While these figures have yet to be released for the following seasons, the body was already predicting an upward trend for 2024.

Among the most lucrative deals for clubs are, of course, main shirt sponsorship agreements, several of which have been renewed (including that of FC Bayern Munich with telecommunications operator Deutsche Telekom, worth an estimated €50m per year, increasing to €67m from 2027). The sale of stadium naming rights is also another significant financial lever, as evidenced by the extension of Olympique Lyonnais' naming rights agreement for the Groupama Stadium (with French banking group Groupama) and the inaugural contract for the Hill Dickinson Stadium, Everton FC's new home ground (with the namesake law firm).

It is worth noting that in 2025, several clubs entrusted multiple assets to a single partner. For…