The Premier League could unlock an additional £750 million in revenue by centralising perimeter advertising sales and broadening its commercial partner portfolio.
According to Sky News, the English top flight is exploring a shake-up of its commercial operations to mirror models used in the United States. The plan under consideration would involve adding three more top-tier partners and centralising up to 60 per cent of pitchside advertising inventory.
The Premier League currently counts seven top-tier partners, including Barclays, Microsoft, Electronic Arts (EA) and Guinness, alongside licensing deals with brands such as Football Manager and Topps.
All 20 clubs were briefed on the proposals at a recent meeting, although no formal decision has been made to proceed with the changes.
While no club executive has publicly commented on the presentation, Sky News reports that at least one raised concerns that expanding the league’s central commercial roster could clash with existing sponsorship agreements held by individual clubs.
Clubs were also briefed on regulatory developments at the meeting. David Kogan, chairman of the Independent Football Regulator, and Richard Monks, its chief executive, outlined plans for the body’s first ‘State of the Game’ report, due to be compiled in the coming months.
A move to centralise pitchside advertising would align the league more closely with competitions such as the UEFA Champions League, where centralised inventory has helped drive commercial income. However, some clubs — particularly those with large global fanbases — may resist relinquishing control over valuable advertising space.
The Premier League abandoned a single title sponsor in favour of a multi-partner model a decade ago, a strategy that has attracted a broader range of global brands while preserving commercial scarcity and allowing clubs greater flexibility in securing their own deals. For instance, the presence of Barclays as a league-wide partner previously deterred other financial institutions from working with individual clubs.
With broadcast rights agreements secured for the long term and clubs searching for new revenue streams ahead of the forthcoming ban on front-of-shirt betting sponsors, the prospect of centralising more commercial inventory may be seen as a necessary trade-off to drive future growth.
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