‘Big five’ European soccer leagues generate US$1.1bn in new sponsorship deals

First-time sponsors accounted for 53 per cent of all new deals and renewals for the first three months of the 2025/26 season.

The ‘big five’ European soccer leagues have already amassed US$1.1bn in income from new sponsorship deals and renewals, according to data from Ampere Analysis.

Confirmed:

• Total annual sponsorship spend across the top five European leagues and teams was at US$5.4 billion at the start of the 2025/26 campaign
• First-time sponsors were responsible for 53 per cent of all new agreements for the ongoing campaign
• The total spend from financial services companies grew the most of all categories compared to last season, rising six percentage points to 16 per cent
• Three quarters of sponsorship spending made by international companies headquartered outside the league’s domestic market

Context:

Ampere’s analysis covers sponsorship spend in the Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1, generally accepted as Europe’s five biggest soccer competitions.

In the 2025/26 campaign’s first three months, companies from the trading, foreign exchange services, household goods and luxury clothing sectors all have already signed more new sponsorship deals covering all five competitions, than the entirety of last season.

Adidas was identified as the highest-spending brand across the five leagues, and has grown its spend on kit supplier arrangements by over US$100 million for the ongoing season. Its spend measures up to 11 per cent of the total outlay from companies, five per cent more than nearest rivals Nike.

Ampere’s latest report comes after it found that spending on US sports media rights has leapt 122 per cent over the past decade, rising from US$13.8 billion in 2015 to US$30.5 billion in 2025.

Comment:

“Sponsorship is an important revenue stream to clubs and leagues tackling stagnating media rights revenues,” said Ed Keppie, senior analyst at Ampere Analysis. “Banking US$1 billion on new sponsorship deals in the first three months of the 2025/26 season is a huge positive for the industry and indicates that many brands view European football sponsorship as a viable solution in the face of challenging macroeconomic conditions.

“With first-time sponsors now driving over half of new deals, our data suggests the European football sponsorship market’s health is not only holding up — it’s broadening.”

Credit: https://www.sportspro.com/news/european-soccer-sponsorship-2025-2026-spend-revenue-october-2025/