The Sponsor has again shared its yearly detailed study, checking the fair market sponsorship values for every Premier League club’s shirt front and sleeve deals. Results make it clear: some clubs and their backers are landing awesome bargains, but others seem to be spending too much. A fair market value in sponsorship is simply the money a team expects from sponsorship in an open market, with no special relationships involved. Premier League rules on Fair Market Value (FMV) and Associated Party Transactions (APT) are set up to keep competition fair — these stop clubs from bumping up sponsor deals using companies tied to their owners.

Manchester United’s Sponsorship Value Takes a £13.5 Million Hit

Missing out on European football has really hurt Manchester United’s business side, chopping £13.4 million off the value for their main shirt sponsor and £3.1 million for the sleeve. This drop arrives at a tough time, because Qualcomm, United’s principal partner, just extended its Snapdragon deal last year, valued around £60 million. That number is £10 million more than what Standard Chartered currently pays to have its brand on Liverpool’s kit, who are the Premier League winners.

United’s huge history still means something, but not playing in Europe gives sponsors much less chance to be seen by fans across the continent, cutting the benefit they get. Brand appeal isn’t only about being seen; The Sponsor’s full-circle research has spotted that weaker image, poorer stadium, and disappointing results on the pitch are also making United less attractive to brands. Sean Connell, who edits The Sponsor, put it this way: “There’s still time to fix things. United’s global fans and tradition are strong, and its main shirt sponsorship is still higher than Chelsea, Arsenal, or Tottenham at £51.1 million. But the gap between the club’s name and their football is getting bigger and sponsors see it.”

If the club wants to keep its place as a top choice for sponsors, action is needed soon. Without games in Europe, good stories in the media, or a solid plan for growth, it’s likely that the sponsorship value will drop even more.

Liverpool’s Sponsorship Value Jumps to £65.9m

Liverpool takes the crown again as the most valuable sponsorship chance in the Premier League, hitting a front-of-shirt value of £65.9 million in The Sponsor’s 2025 report; this is an increase from the last year and keeps them at the top. Their business boost comes from a special mix: winning on the field, strong global presence, world-class players, and huge, active supporters around the globe. Names like Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk stay loyal, helping Liverpool’s partners score bigger, and the club’s positive stance on social and local matters makes it an appealing stage for brands.

Fans around the world cheer for players such as Salah and Van Dijk, and their impact lets Liverpool’s business partners make the most out of deals—especially visible with moments like Salah’s celebration with Google Pixel, which turned into a worldwide promo. The club’s upgrades to facilities and steady Champions League presence push its sponsorship value even higher. At the same time, Liverpool’s sleeve sponsor value moved up 25% to £31.4 million, thanks to its own strong brand plus other major contracts across the league, like Manchester City’s £55 million sleeve deal with OKX and United’s £20 million tie-up with DXC Technology.

Standard Chartered made its shirt partnership with Liverpool in July 2022 at about £50 million each year, but since then, the fair market value has climbed by 32%, handing the bank more value. If new coach Arne Slot can keep Liverpool rising, the club will have a strong hand in talks when the present deal finishes after 2026/27.

Methodology

Definition: What Is Fair Market Value (FMV)?

In sponsorships, FMV is the cash a team or event should get from sponsors in a free market, as long as no special ties are there. Rules in the Premier League for FMV and APT make sure the league stays even by blocking clubs from using their own partners to boost sponsorship numbers.

How Is Fair Market Value Correctly Worked Out?

• Sponsorship Strength Assessment

Every club’s sponsor power is measured compared to other teams, using a scorecard that is weighted towards what is most valuable to big brand managers; these key measures come from a survey of The Sponsor’s network and are grouped as:

• Reputation (past successes, cultural importance, facilities quality).
• Audience (fan numbers, how often fans interact, types of fans, how involved they are).
• Contribution (impact in the community, eco-friendly work, events for fans).

The biggest weight is for how wide the club’s reach is, making it the most important for sponsors.

• Deal Benchmarking

Teams’ scores get compared to sponsorship numbers reported by well-known media like The Athletic, giving a sense of market direction and standards.

• Regression Modelling

A market pattern is built using polynomial regression, which matches sponsor strength to cash value and finds the FMV of each Premier League team for shirt and sleeve.

About the Valuation

The Sponsor is a neutral expert without any money or partnership at stake in the results. This research is based on values at exactly 23:59 on 29th May 2025, but doesn’t try to guess what clubs might do in Europe or if they might drop out of the league later. Because of this, clubs and sponsors may think the real value is higher or lower, as their own predictions and deal periods will vary. If you want extra details or an assessment of your sponsorship value, you can reach The Sponsor by email at info@thesponsor.com.