Chelsea is facing sponsorship challenges ahead of the 2023 Premier League season. Fans who have been following their preparations may have noticed that the team’s kits do not feature a main sponsor on the front.
The Blues have been on a tour of the United States, playing matches against various teams. They secured a 5-0 victory against Wrexham and a thrilling 4-3 win against Brighton & Hove Albion. They then settled for a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United. They still have matches against Fulham and Borussia Dortmund before their official season begins.
While the team is getting ready for their first Premier League game against Liverpool on August 13th, the club is working hard to secure a main sponsorship deal. However, this process has become complicated due to the absence of European football this season. Chelsea finished in 12th place in the league last season, missing out on European competitions.
To make matters worse, a sponsorship deal with broadcaster Paramount+ was blocked by the Premier League. Reports suggest that this deal would have upset current broadcast partners, who would have been forced to air games featuring kits with logos of their competitors. Paramount+ is a streaming service owned by CBS, which holds the rights to UEFA competitions in the United States and broadcasts Serie A matches. It appears that other Premier League broadcast partners, including NBC, were unhappy with the prospect of promoting a competitor’s advertisement during their own broadcasts.
Chelsea was rumored to have been in talks with German company Allianz, but those discussions fell through due to an unfavorable offer from the potential sponsor. The club also engaged in talks with Stake, a gambling company, but they withdrew from the negotiations following backlash from fans. These types of deals are expected to be banned from 2026.
During the 2022/23 season, Chelsea’s main kit sponsor was Three, whose £40 million-per-year deal expired this summer. The mobile company had its logo, the number 3, displayed on the team’s kits for three years. However, they decided not to renew their partnership with the club after the contract ended.
Chelsea now faces the challenge of finding a new main sponsor ahead of the upcoming season. The absence of European football and the difficulties in securing a suitable deal have presented hurdles for the club. It remains to be seen who will ultimately become Chelsea’s new main sponsor for the 2023/24 season.
In the meantime, fans eagerly await the start of the season and hope that Chelsea can secure a sponsor that will help support the team’s ambitions in the Premier League. Time will tell how the sponsorship situation develops and what impact it will have on the club’s financial stability and ability to compete at the highest level.
