Chelsea released their new kit for the 2023-24 season on Monday, but one notable feature was the lack of a sponsor on the front of the shirt.
The new kit, by manufacturer Nike, is a simple blue design with the club saying it is inspired by their 1990s shirts as it is 25 years since they won the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and League Cup in 1997-98 with Gianfranco Zola, Dennis Wise and Roberto Di Matteo in the side.
Chelsea have been in discussions with companies over sponsoring their shirts and are hoping to have a deal in place by the start of the Premier League season.
But while they have managed to secure a new manager in Mauricio Pochettino, and offload several players they were looking to sell, a shirt sponsor still appears an issue before the new season. So what has been the hold-up?
Who were Chelsea’s sponsors last season?
Telecommunications network Three had sponsored Chelsea’s shirts for the past three seasons, but that deal ran out at the end of the 2022-23 season.
The company had suspended its deal with the club in March 2022 after sanctions were placed on Roman Abramovich by the UK government, but the logo remained on shirts for the remainder of the 2021-22 season.
In June 2022, following the club’s sale to Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, Three “restarted their marketing activities” with the club.
Weren’t they in discussions with Stake?
Gambling firm Stake was in discussions with Chelsea but the club’s supporters were opposed to the deal and nothing ended up being agreed upon.
In April, Premier League clubs voted to ban gambling sponsors from the front of shirts, though it will not come into effect until the start of the 2026-27 campaign.
Chelsea Supporters’ Trust surveyed its members in June over the possibility of taking sponsorship from a gambling company and released a statement saying: “Over 77 per cent of our voting members strongly disagree or disagree with the use of an online casino and betting company as the primary shirt sponsor.”
When it was reported no deal with Stake would go ahead, the CST said: “It demonstrates again that supporters can make a monumental difference. Our consistent message to the owners is clear — make the supporters proud.”
Introducing our 23/24 @NikeFootball home shirt! ⭐
90’s inspired and shimmering in gold, celebrating 25 years since our iconic 97/98 season where we took home the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. #ItsA90sThing #ThePrideOfLondon
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 10, 2023
What other possible sponsors were approached?
Chelsea had hoped to complete a deal for front-of-shirt sponsorship with Paramount Plus, the U.S. streaming service.
However, this was judged by the Premier League to not be permitted under the Deed of License – the contract between clubs and the Premier League, which covers matters including broadcasting and commercial deals.
Paramount does not show football in the UK but does broadcast other competitions, such as the Champions League, in the U.S. Sky Sports, BT Sport (soon to be TNT Sports) and Amazon Prime are the Premier League’s broadcast partners in the UK, and the league has a TV deal with NBC Sports in the U.S.
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What about a sleeve sponsor?
As well as parting ways with shirt sponsor Three, Chelsea’s previous sleeve sponsor WhaleFin, the cryptocurrency group, served notice earlier this year on its lucrative five-year deal after just 12 months. That deal was due to run until 2027.
The Three and Whalefin deals were worth £60million a season to Chelsea, which equates to about 12 per cent of the club’s annual turnover in 2021-22.
Are they expected to name a new sponsor soon?
Talks with other potential partners are ongoing and the Creative Artists Agency is leading the process to secure Chelsea a new sponsor. Chelsea’s first Premier League match is at home to Liverpool on August 13 and the club expect a deal to be in place by then.
Can Chelsea fans buy the shirts now? What if the club then get a new sponsor?
Chelsea supporters can buy the new shirt from August 16 but, upon the kit’s release, the club explained that: “Fans should be aware that the 2023-24 home kit that features on pitch may subsequently feature a front-of-shirt partner. The club will communicate any changes to the kit in due course.”
(Top photo: Chelsea FC)
