Qualitative vs quantitative: how Sheffield United and Chelsea’s recent sponsorship activity differs

As the Sheffield club return to the Premier League after two seasons out, senior figures are determined to secure ‘family friendly partners.’ Through this stated ambition, the club have turned down at least three multi-million pound offers from gambling firms to become the club’s new shirt sponsor. Meanwhile, Chelsea rush to push through a controversial deal with crypto-casino Stake.com. In this article, we query whether these moves make sense and what they suggest about the future of Premier League sponsorship. 

For sponsors, the Premier League guarantees global viewership. Together with the highest match day attendance average in Europe, it forms the most quantitatively impressive sponsorship platform in British sports. In mid-April, the League announced that its teams had agreed an effective ban of front-of-shirt gambling sponsorship commencing in the 2025/26 season. With Sheffield United’s recent rejection of gambling firms, alongside fan discontent over Chelsea’s proposed deal with Stake.com, we are starting to see two distinct approaches to gambling sponsorship.