Chelsea Football Club have confirmed that this will be the last season in which their kits are made by Adidas, with the club having signed a record-breaking deal with the US sportswear company Nike to provide their kits from next season.
The Blues confirmed in May of this year that that they had reached a ‘mutual agreement’ with the German company Adidas to end their deal together six years earlier than originally planned. Adidas became Chelsea’s kit sponsor back in 2006 but the club decided to look elsewhere for next season instead of sticking with the sports giant until 2023 as the original contract would have had it.
Though they have had to pay tens of millions to Adidas as compensation, the kit deal with Nike is rumoured to be worth around £60 million per year for fifteen years, amounting to roughly £900 million over the course of the contract. Though the club declined to confirm any cash numbers it is believed to be worth nearly double the £30 million a season they got from Adidas.
Nike will not only produce kits for the first team but also for the Academy side as well as the Ladies team. One of Chelsea’s directors, Marina Granovskaia, praised the deal and noted that the club was partnering up with a company that shares their ideals. She said, “This is an incredibly exciting and important deal for the club. Like Chelsea, Nike is known around the world for its excellence and innovation and we look forward to working together in what is sure to be a successful partnership”.
Chelsea hope that the deal will not only help them to increase their financial revenue but also to grow and expand into markets that they are not currently well-known in. Granovskaia continued, “We believe Nike will be able to support our growth into new markets as well as helping us maintain our place among the world’s elite football clubs”.
It was a sentiment that was echoed by the US sportswear giants themselves. The President of Nike Brand, Trevor Edwards, said, “Chelsea is a world-class club with a rich tradition and passionate fans across the globe”.
He also went on to discuss the company’s desire to grow their brand in the football world, not only for clubs but also for the players and those that watch the game. He said, “The partnership with Chelsea reinforces our leadership position in football. We are excited to help grow the club’s global reach, serving players and supporters with Nike innovation and design”.
Though the deal is impressive it is still not the best kit deal in the Premier League. Manchester United are the club with the most lucrative sponsorship deal at present. Their deal with Chelsea’s former partners Adidas, which was signed in 2014, is worth £750 million over the course of ten years, or £75 million per year.