Spud Bros x Preston North End: The feel-good football sponsorship of the year?
In the increasingly crowded world of football sponsorship, Preston North End have just served up something quite unexpected. This week, the Championship side unveiled their 2025/26 home shirt and with it, a new front-of-shirt sponsor: Spud Bros, the Preston-based jacket potato brand with 4.2 million TikTok followers, 770k on Instagram, and more digital buzz than most Championship clubs could dream of.
On paper, it’s a curious pairing: a second-tier football club and two brothers selling loaded spuds out of a van. In practice, it’s one of the most refreshing, relevant sponsorship stories of the year and a case study in how local authenticity and digital reach can make for a winning combination.
More than visibility
Spud Bros aren’t just a viral snack stop. They’re a content engine, a youth brand, and now, a marketing partner with the potential to elevate PNE far beyond its usual audience. Within 24 hours of the launch, the deal generated millions of views online. That's exposure money can't easily buy and the kind that traditional football sponsorship rarely delivers. Given the disparity between the two in terms of online presence (Preston, for example, have 95k followers on Instagram), it's clear that Spud Bros are not here solely to promote their own visibility. There's no contrivance and no sense of one partner taking advantage of the other.
While many clubs are still partnering with betting firms or faceless conglomerates, Preston have bet on something else entirely: a family-run, homegrown business that resonates with the city, understands social media, and brings a massive, ready-made audience.
Last month, Merseyside law firm Hill Dickinson made a similar move with its sponsorship of Everton's new stadium. Though different in essence (Hill Dickinson are known for professional services rather than tasty street food), the focus on amplifying local leaders was present.
Digital-first, community-focused
There’s genuine strategy here. Spud Bros reflects a new kind of sponsor: digitally fluent, culturally relevant, and rooted in place. Preston North End, for all its storied footballing and cultural history, hasn’t always cracked the marketing code, but this deal is a step in the right direction.
Younger fans, students, families (the people clubs are keen to attract already) know Spud Bros. Now they’ll be more aware of PNE, too. The launch event at Deepdale, complete with free jacket potatoes for the first 2,000 fans, wasn’t just a gimmick; it was a real-world extension of the brand’s community-first, high-energy ethos.
A local partnership with global lessons
From a football sponsorship perspective, this deal ticks three essential boxes: it’s local, it’s bold, and it stands out. It’s also proof that visibility doesn’t need to come from volume alone, that it is more meaningful;y conveyed through resonance. Preston haven’t partnered with a distant corporation; they’ve teamed up with storytellers.
This was a rare opportunity, but the lesson for sponsors and sponsorship managers remains clear: don’t overlook the power of local icons, especially those who already know how to build passionate audiences. Spud Bros x PNE may not be traditional, but it’s authentic, effective, and in tune with how to attain meaningful reach in 2025.
Image source: Preston North End Official Website
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