XTB accelerates football land grab with Lyon deal
XTB has made Olympique Lyonnais their third major European football partnership since April, extending an accelerated sponsorship strategy backed by sharply higher marketing investment.
XTB has become a major partner of Olympique Lyonnais until 2029, adding another prominent European club to its sponsorship portfolio just days after agreeing a three-year deal with FC Porto.The investment platform will receive branding on Lyon shirts, LED visibility at Groupama Stadium across competitions and access to player imagery for digital campaigns. Financial terms and the position of XTB’s shirt branding were not disclosed.XTB chief growth officer Szymon Szymański said: “We want to become the leader and the most popular investment app in France.”The three-season agreement follows XTB’s sponsorship of Porto, where the company secured sleeve inventory, and a two-year global trading partnership signed with Napoli in April. Lyon are therefore the third European football club added to the company’s portfolio in four months.The sequence reflects a significant increase in XTB’s customer acquisition and brand-building expenditure. The company spent PLN435.5m on marketing during the first half of 2026, up 64.7% year on year.XTB has told investors it expects marketing spending to increase by about 50% this year, followed by annual growth of between 30% and 40% from 2027 to 2029. The company added more than 700,000 clients during the first half and reported a total customer base of 2.83m.Lyon senior vice-president of revenue and marketing Thibaut Chatelard said: “XTB’s decision to commit to three seasons confirms the strength of the OL brand.”The partnership will also incorporate financial education and responsible investing initiatives, giving XTB assets beyond conventional shirt and stadium exposure as it looks to expand its French customer base.XTB’s wider sports portfolio includes global rights with FIBA, sponsorships in MMA and a partnership with Paris La Défense Arena, adding further reach beyond its recent football acquisitions.The Lyon agreement strengthens that strategy in France until 2029, while the rapid additions of Napoli, Porto and Lyon underline football’s growing role in XTB’s wider European marketing push.