Chelsea Announces Infinite Athlete as New Front-of-Shirt Sponsor
Chelsea Football Club has officially confirmed that Infinite Athlete will be their new front-of-shirt sponsor for the season. The deal is valued at over £40 million ($48.8 million) and comes after the club played the opening month of the season without a sponsor. The previous three-year deal with telecommunications network 3 UK had expired at the end of last season.
Infinite Athlete, a biomechanics engineering company, will sponsor Chelsea for the remainder of the season. The sponsorship agreement was finalized just in time for the women’s team to debut the new shirt during their Women’s Super League opener against Tottenham Hotspur. In addition to the front-of-shirt sponsorship, Infinite Athlete’s logo will also appear on the sleeve of Chelsea’s training kit, which is primarily sponsored by travel company Trivago.
The formation of Infinite Athlete came about when Tempus Ex Machina, a technology firm that signed a seven-year partnership with Chelsea in April, acquired injury analytics firm Biocore. As a result, Tempus now operates under the name Infinite Athlete. Notably, investment fund Silver Lake, which owns more than 18% of the City Football Group, the organization that owns Manchester City, is also an investor in Infinite Athlete.
Chelsea’s existing partnership with Tempus has already brought technological advancements to the club. This season, fans have access to Match View X technology through the club’s app, allowing them to watch games back and access player tracking, data, and graphics.
The search for a front-of-shirt sponsor was not without its challenges for Chelsea. Initially, the club had agreed to be sponsored by U.S. streaming service Paramount Plus. However, this move was rejected by the Premier League due to concerns it could cause problems with the league’s broadcast partners. Talks with Stake, a gambling firm, also fell through after opposition from supporters. Betting website Kaiyun Sports, which secured a sponsorship deal with Nottingham Forest this season, was another contender for the front-of-shirt sponsorship.
During September’s defeat to Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea hosted representatives from Saudi state airline Riyadh Air, pitching a potential sponsorship deal. The club currently sits 14th in the Premier League after their opening six matches and will face Fulham in their next game.
Financially, Chelsea has been able to navigate the transfer market without violating UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. The club’s estimated amortized spending in the past three windows comes to £157.2 million, offset by an accounting profit from player sales of £149.6 million over the same period. With FFP restrictions loosening, clubs judged to be in good financial health could be allowed to incur losses of up to €90 million over a three-year monitoring period, triple the previous limit of €30 million.
While it is too early to determine if Chelsea’s current spending will result in a loss or profit, the club will need to start turning a profit soon. This could be achieved through increased player sales, improved commercial deals, or a return to the Champions League, where each home game can generate around £3-4 million.
In conclusion, Chelsea’s partnership with Infinite Athlete as their new front-of-shirt sponsor marks an exciting development for the club. With a lucrative deal in place and technological advancements already benefiting fans, Chelsea is poised for success both on and off the pitch.