Kieran Maguire: Record-breaking Leeds United deal could now ‘significantly plummet’
Leeds United can expect to see the valuation of their £6million shirt sponsorship deal plummet should they suffer relegation this season.
That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the potential impact relegation could have on Leeds’ sponsorship deals.
After returning to the Premier League for the first time in 16 years in 2020, Leeds struck a front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with online gambling brand SBOTOP.
InsideWorldFootball estimates the multi-year deal to be worth around £6million per season – an agreement Leeds said “represents the largest commercial deal in the club’s history.”
The Athletic report that their union is expected to continue next season.
But with the Whites sitting in the relegation zone this season and a return to the Championship becoming an increasingly likely threat, the value of that deal could be cut.
Maguire insists that relegation this season would see Leeds’ commercial value “plummet”, but argues that survival would lead to the Yorkshire side bartering for an even more lucrative deal.
“There will be significant step-downs for Leeds United and their shirt sponsorship with SBOTOP,” Maguire told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“But the sponsor is likely to be delighted with the degree of exposure they’ve received since Leeds arrived in the Premier League.
“You can understand their enthusiasm for wanting that on a longer-term basis.
“Leeds will hope to extract a higher price should they secure their future in the Premier League, but that value will significantly plummet should they return to the Championship.“
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