Premier League shirts are going to look very different this season. Twenty years after the door was opened for gambling companies to put their logos on the front of jerseys, it has been closed after clubs voluntarily voted to ban them. For the past two campaigns, 11 of the 20 clubs have had their shirts adorned with the branding of some kind of betting firm - anything from online bookmakers to crypto casinos, sometimes who do not even operate in the UK.
It shows how finding a shirt sponsor today is very different to how it was in the 1980s, when corporate logos began to appear on kits regularly. Teams used to attract local companies or foreign firms well-known on these shores. Think Draper Tools, Crown Paints, JVC and Sharp.
That all changed as the Premier League's global appeal mushroomed. Sponsors could come from any place, and any sector, looking to target specific markets around the world. As the market took off for the big six, it left the rest of the Premier League looking for the best deals - which came from gambling companies.
Eight Premier League clubs needed to find a new shirt sponsor this summer because of the gambling ban. Nottingham Forest and Sunderland are still looking, as are Chelsea who have only briefly had a front-of-shirt sponsor in recent seasons. Kieran Maguire, professor of football finance at the University of Liverpool, told BBC Sport that this could be down to clubs having greater expectations from their commercial deals.
"This is mainly due to the club's perception of its worth not being matched by that of sponsors themselves," Maguire said. "And the removal of gambling sponsors which has reduced supply. "Chelsea in particular have struggled in recent seasons, as the club wants a long-term deal at a price that they consider reflects their current status as Fifa Club World Cup champions." The club signed up with IFS, an AI technology company, for a few months last season - and that shows a trend.
Crystal Palace and Fulham have switched from gambling to technology and AI - to Temporal and ClickHouse respectively. Premier League sponsorship has moved with the times. From tech, to alcohol, to gambling.
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