On Monday, Chelsea will release their new home shirt. However, it is a shirt that will have a sponsor on the front. One of the ‘Big Six’ not having a big jersey sponsor on opening day will be hugely unusual.
Following the rejection of an offer from gambling giant Stake, the West London club will unveil their 2023-24 collection without a main sponsor. The Premier League reportedly blocked the arrangement with Paramount+ as previously reported by the Daily Mail.
English teams are bound by a contract known as the Deed of License, which prohibits them from forming partnerships with overseas streaming services that do not broadcast Premier League matches in the United Kingdom for fear of upsetting rights holders.
As a result of the decision, Chelsea had to scramble to come up with a new plan. Stake, an online casino and sports betting site, and the German financial services firm Allianz interested Chelsea. Yet, after hearing the complaints, management decided to abandon the plan.
Why can’t Chelsea find main jersey sponsors?
After coming so close to finalizing a lucrative contract with Paramount+, Chelsea executives were perplexed when the Premier League vetoed the deal. The decision put Chelsea’s management in a bind as the clock winds down before the start of the new season.
Prior to the upcoming restriction on betting businesses holding shirt sponsorships, a proposed contract with Stake drew concern from fan organizations and activists. The club’s management team ultimately opted against accepting the offer, feeling it was a poor cultural fit.
New 2023-24 kits will sell without sponsor
Chelsea’s upper management are reportedly in negotiations with other potential sponsors. However, to maximise profits they have chosen to release the new shirt to fans.
Pre-orders for the jersey will ship to eager fans. Waiting until a sponsor was found would prevent this.
Photo credit: IMAGO / NurPhoto
