Season 2 Episode 31

Sponsors

An evil part of football or more important than that? Discussing the history of football sponsors and the state of modern sponsorship.

Episode Notes

Money and football are more connected than ever. And with that, human rights records and business dealings of Premier League club owners coming under increased scrutiny. But unless they’ve got an oligarch or state fund to pump money, it’s hard for clubs to keep up with the relentless rise of Premier League players’ wages and transfer fees.

That money needs to come from somewhere, and broadcast revenue and ticket sales no longer cover the costs of players who, in the past, would have been more easily within reach.

The other big avenue for clubs to make money is through sponsorships. Aside from the familiar front-of-shirt sponsor, it is now commonplace for clubs to have dozens of sponsors in all sorts of categories. Today we’re talking sponsorships.

Vocabulary

Lucrative - “Spurs have signed a lucrative deal with a new shirt sponsor”
Endorsement - “David Beckham has signed a controversial $277m endorsement as the face of the Qatar World Cup”
Iconic - “The Manchester United shirt sponsored by Sharp is an iconic football shirt”

Tottenham's Official Paint Supplier

We are delighted to announce @duluxuk, the nation’s number one paint brand, as our first ever Official Paint Supplier.#THFC ⚪ #COYS
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 15, 2021