Chelsea’s quest for a fresh primary shirt sponsor for the upcoming 2023/24 season has hit a roadblock, with the Premier League thwarting a potentially lucrative deal with Paramount+.
Following the conclusion of the previous agreement with Three, who had emblazoned Chelsea shirts for three years since 2020, the Blues were in need of a new branding partner.
Although Three briefly paused their marketing activities with the club in 2022 due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, they resumed the partnership after Roman Abramovich sold the club in June last year. There were even discussions about removing Three’s branding from the shirts, but kit supplier Nike couldn’t produce new ones under the existing license.
Now, Chelsea had set their sights on Paramount+, an American streaming platform, as a potential sponsor. However, the Premier League, according to the Daily Mail, has deemed the deal to be in violation of the Deed of License, which covers various broadcasting aspects.
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Paramount+ operates in the UK, providing streaming services for entertainment shows and films. Importantly, it is also a broadcast partner of the Premier League in the United States. Therefore, a partnership with Chelsea could pose complications for the league, even though Paramount+ doesn’t stream games in the UK.
Consequently, Chelsea will need to explore alternative options. Allianz, a German financial company already deeply involved in football, has been mentioned as a potential candidate. However, recent reports suggest that a deal with Allianz would be less financially rewarding compared to partnering with Stake, an online betting platform.
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If Chelsea were to collaborate with Stake, the sponsorship arrangement would likely be relatively short-term. This is because Premier League clubs recently voted to prohibit betting companies from featuring as primary shirt sponsors starting from 2026.
After that, only sleeve and pitchside gambling advertising will be permitted. Furthermore, there is a moral dilemma considering the Chelsea Foundation’s active efforts to raise awareness about the harmful impact of gambling.
The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust conducted a poll among its members, revealing that over 77% of the voting participants strongly disagreed or disagreed with the prospect of an online casino and betting company serving as the primary shirt sponsor.
In a letter addressed to Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly, the group unequivocally expressed their stance and highlighted the initiatives overseen by the Chelsea Foundation.
