Arsenal’s sleeve sponsorship asset set to reach £20m as Visit Rwanda deal ends
Arsenal's sleeve sponsorship agreement with the Rwanda Development Board will end at the close of the 2025 to 26 season. The decision follows months of fan-led protest and growing pressure around the partnership, which had become increasingly difficult for the club to defend publicly.
With the news now confirmed, attention now shifts to what the sleeve is worth and why Arsenal are positioned for a substantial commercial uplift.
A clear gap between market value and the current fee
According to The Sponsor’s Premier League Fair Market Sponsorship Values published in June 2025, Arsenal’s sleeve sponsorship asset is valued at £14.9m. This places the club among the highest in the league and represents a £4.9m gap compared with the reported Visit Rwanda fee of just over £10m per year.
That gap alone indicates Arsenal have been operating below fair market value.
When it comes to stadium naming rights, official data from Emirates could not be verified, but the partnership is said to be well below the stadium's current market value of £12.6m, as published in The Sponsor's European Stadium Naming Rights Report, which covers the fair market value of 75 major European stadiums.
On pitch performance is pushing the value higher
The Visit Rwanda deal will not conclude until the end of next season, giving Arsenal another full year of potential FMV growth.
If the team continue to perform on the pitch, their reputation and sponsorship strength scores are expected to rise further. Reputation scores are a key component of FMV modelling, and Arsenal’s improved form and trajectory are likely to enhance their appeal for the 2026 cycle resulting in significant growth in the value of their sleeve asset.
Sleeve values across the league are rising
A third factor is reshaping the market. With gambling brands preparing to move off front of shirt assets due to regulatory changes, many are expected to target sleeve inventory instead. Early modelling indicates this shift could increase sleeve prices by up to 40 percent for some clubs.
This places Arsenal in a market where demand is rising across the board, and where premium inventory like theirs will attract greater competition.
A reset and a revenue opportunity
These three drivers working together create a clear commercial outlook:
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The existing deal is £4.9m below FMV.
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Arsenal’s on-pitch performance is strengthening their scores and appeal, lifting future valuations.
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League wide sleeve inflation is expected as gambling brands shift spend from front of shirt to sleeve.
Combined, these forces point toward substantial growth. Based on current modelling, The Sponsor forecasts that Arsenal’s sleeve sponsorship fair market value will increase by around 35 percent over the next 12 months, taking the asset to at least £20m.
A partnership that no longer held broad supporter backing is ending, and its departure opens the door to securing a deal that better reflects the club’s true market value.
What this means for the Visit Rwanda portfolio
Arsenal’s exit leaves Visit Rwanda with major partnerships at Paris Saint Germain and Atletico Madrid. Both clubs will now come under greater scrutiny, particularly as fan sentiment increasingly shapes sponsorship acceptability. Arsenal’s experience demonstrates that while a sleeve deal delivers strong visibility, negative supporter attitudes can undermine engagement and make long term activation difficult.
