Premier League shirt revenues rise as clubs replace betting money

Premier League front-of-shirt sponsorship revenue has risen to £444m for the 2026-27 season, up 8% from £410m a year earlier despite the removal of gambling brands from the inventory.Research from Ampere Analysis found that eight clubs remaining in the division replaced gambling agreements worth a combined £67m with new deals valued at £75m.That represents an £8m uplift on a like-for-like basis and suggests clubs have been able to redirect premium shirt inventory towards other high-spending categories.Ampere senior analyst Adam Lewis said: “With AI, payment, and trading companies now featuring on the front of Premier League clubs’ kits, the market has proven to be resilient despite the gambling ban.“Betting companies are finding alternative routes to exposure through sleeves and training kits, but their overall investment has fallen sharply. Meanwhile, the gap between the ‘Big Six’ and the rest of the league continues to widen, with the biggest clubs capturing the lion's share of sponsorship revenue growth.”The strongest gains have been concentrated among Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.Combined front-of-shirt revenue across the six clubs increased by £46m, helped by Arsenal’s improved Emirates renewal and Chelsea securing a full-season agreement with Circle after using IFS on a shorter-term basis last season.Revenue performance has been weaker elsewhere.The departure of West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers from the Premier League and their replacement by promoted clubs contributed to a £16m reduction in front-of-shirt revenue across the rest of the division.The remaining clubs outside the Big Six added a combined £4m, leaving the league with an overall net increase of £34m.Betting brands have not disappeared from Premier League sponsorship portfolios but have shifted towards other assets.Total gambling sponsorship spending across all club inventory has fallen from £155m to £63m, a £92m decline, while the number of betting deals has dropped by 21%.Six betting companies have signed new training kit or sleeve agreements. The category now accounts for 57% of training kit sponsorship spend, up from 34%, and 20% of sleeve spending, compared with 3% previously.Financial services companies have replaced gambling brands with almost £35m across three front-of-shirt deals, while technology companies account for £19m across two agreements. Aston Villa’s reported £20m Visit Rwanda deal represents the tourism sector.Betting remains the most active category for new Premier League sponsorship deals at 13%, ahead of trading, payments, AI and cybersecurity companies at 5% each.The figures indicate that the front-of-shirt ban has reduced overall gambling investment but has not weakened the Premier League’s premium sponsorship market, with the largest clubs capturing most of the replacement capital.