Football is one of the most popular sports on the planet, and as such it has a viewership that is hardly matched by many other things.
With so many people watching the game, it comes as no surprise that multi-billion companies are constantly looking to get as much ad space from the clubs as they can, acting as their sponsors.
Let’s take a look at just who sponsors major football teams, what kinds of sponsorships these are, and why they are so important for the sport itself.
Sporting Gear Companies
First and foremost, every football team out there has a sporting gear sponsor, with the likes of Nike and Adidas leading the way, ahead of other companies like Puma.
Looking at the biggest football teams in the world like Manchester United, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Milan, you will notice that they are usually wearing either Nike or Adidas outfits.
This is not a coincidence, nor is the reason that this gear is the highest quality. Of course, the gear is pretty good, but the real reason to always wear the same outfits is the sponsorship contracts they have with these companies.
By having their gear worn by major football stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Nike and Adidas are able to sell millions of shirts and other gear every year and remain the top dogs in their industry.
Beverage Companies
It may come as a surprise that people in sports would support things like Pepsi, Red Bull, and Coca Cola, but when enough money is on the table, they certainly do.
While there is no chance that major players will drink a can of Coca Cola or a Red Bull before a game, they will happily do so for the TV, earning millions in the process.
Pepsi has been very aggressive with advertisement through football, sponsoring entire teams and having the likes of Thierry Henry, Frank Lampard, and Kaka appear in their ads.
Austrian company Red Bull even has its name attached to some clubs who perform at the top level such as Red Bull Salzburg and Red Bull Leipzeig, which takes the sponsorship game to a whole new level.
Sports Betting Sites
Online sports betting only exists to make the experience of sports fans across the world more complete, so it comes as no surprise that the best football betting sites jump at the opportunity to sponsor major football clubs.
Over the years, pretty much every club out there has carried the logo of some betting company on their shirts, with the likes of bet365, Coral, and Betway doing the most sponsoring of this type.
For example, Betway was the official betting sponsor for the likes of AC Milan and Real Madrid for many years. Few clubs were able to completely avoid getting in bet with the gambling companies, regardless of what they may think about football betting in general.
Banks and Airline Companies
When it comes to sponsorships and marketing, the companies with the biggest budgets often get contracts that others could not.
This is the case in football as well. If you have ever watched a game of the Premier League in recent years, you will probably have noticed it is called the Barclays Premier League. Barclays is, in fact, one of the biggest banks in the UK, and the biggest sponsor of the Premier League and many other sporting organizations in the country.
On the other hand, Arabic airlines Etihad, Emirates, and Qatar Arilineshave entered the football sponsorship game with strength as well, having their name associated with major football stadiums in England, and dishing out millions of Pounds for the opportunity to do so.
Read more:
What are the Biggest Sponsors of Football Teams?