Chelsea have FINALLY agreed a new lucrative shirt sponsorship deal with US company Infinite Athlete worth more than £40m per season – and could debut a new kit in the Premier League opener against Liverpool
- Chelsea are looking for a new sponsor after their contract with Three expired
- The Blues raised eyebrows when they launched their new it without a sponsor
- Mauricio Pochettino’s side are lining up to wear the new jersey against Liverpool
Chelsea have agreed a new shirt sponsorship deal worth more than £40 million per season with US tech giant Infinite Athlete.
Both sides had hoped to confirm the deal on Tuesday, but were delayed as they waited for the green light from Premier League bosses.
Chelsea fans began speculating on social media about the shirt deal when rumors leaked from the club’s pre-season media day.
But a source close to the deal confirmed to Mail Online: “It is awaiting approval from the Premier League.”
If all goes well, Mauricio Pochettino’s side will wear the new kit for the first time in Sunday’s Premier League opener at home to Liverpool. Emma Hayes and her lady side are also part of the deal. They will play their first friendly match against Roma next month.
Chelsea had previously risked starting the season without a sponsor on the front of the shirt
Blues chief Todd Boehly decided not to renew terms with Three as the club’s shirt sponsor
New boss Mauricio Pochettino will have the AI player data needed to help manage his team
The contract has been in the works for months and ends the club’s search for a new shirt sponsor following the end of their deal with mobile phone company Three at the end of last season.
The news also represents a much-needed financial boost for owner Todd Boehly and his consortium, as well as avoiding the embarrassment of going into the 2023-24 season without a major deal.
Infinite Athlete has plans to become a major player in world football by providing affordable player data to clubs and enabling fans to watch matches from multiple camera angles.
In Chelsea’s case, new boss Pochettino and his staff will have the very latest AI player data they need to help manage their team.
For fans, this means they can also see the same stats in an app, while streaming a match and watch it as if they were with friends on The Shed side or the Matthew Harding stand.
Infinite Athlete, the parent company of another Chelsea affiliate Tempus Ex, already has huge sponsorship deals with the NFL and the US Collegiate Pac-12 Conference. They initially teamed up with Chelsea earlier this year.
The ongoing contract with Chelsea marks their first step into the Premier League, much to the delight of Chelsea FC’s new Chief Executive Officer, Chris Jurasek.
(TagsToTranslate)dailypost