A ban on U.K. gambling brands’ soccer sponsorships has created a glut of partnership opportunities for consumer marketers. But while CMOs sizing up the opportunity have leverage for now, they’ll face pressure to prove it’s worth the price tag.Arsenal won the Premier League, which concluded on May 24. But with almost a dozen kit sponsors relegated due to a voluntary front-of-shirt ban kicking in this summer, a number of top soccer clubs are competing to attract fresh partner brands. Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Brentford and Everton have announced their next sponsors already, leaving eight Premier League clubs — including Chelsea and Newcastle United — still on the table.
According to a research note published last week by Gartner, sponsorships account for 18.2% of marketers’ non-digital spending, but 84% of CMOs “struggle to quantify” their value.
Gambling brand exit
During the 2024/2025 season, Premier League sponsorship spending exceeded £1.5 billion, ($2.01 billion), per Ampere Analysis. Investment by gambling brands was exceeded only by financial services companies last year, accounting for 8% of total U.K. soccer sponsorship deals in 2025 according to Nielsen — more than apparel brands, tech or booze advertisers.
