Man United should be ‘concerned’ after losing ‘huge’ sponsorship deal
Manchester United are starting to feel the commercial impact of their decline in on-field performances in recent years.
Man United posted a new club-record revenue last season after their turnover improved from £661.8million in 2023-24 to £666.5m, with that figure boosted by an increase in commercial income from £302.9m to £333.3m.
However, that doesn’t tell the entire story about Man United’s commercial appeal after multiple issues have emerged in recent months.
Marriott International – the world’s largest hotel company – decided not to extend its sponsorship deal with the club after it expired at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
Meanwhile, Man United are also currently without a training kit partner after their Tezos deal, which was worth around £24m a year, came to an end last summer.
How ‘football issue’ is impacting Man United financially
Former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider there is currently an issue with sponsorships after there have been few major deals agreed in recent years.
The Athletic reported on 5 February Man United’s shortfall in sponsorship revenue was on the agenda at the recent executive committee meeting at the club’s Carrington training complex, where Joel and Avram Glazer were in attendance.
The news outlet revealed the Glazers have voiced their concerns about Man United’s commercial performance, with Jean-Claude Blanc, chief executive of INEOS Sport, now becoming more actively involved at Old Trafford.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Borson said: “There’s a football issue with sponsorships. We’ve spoken about it loads of times. You only have to look at the lack of activity, the big deals, and how few and far between they are.
“Who was the last major blue-chip front of shirt? You’ve got United. Their front of the shirt is always worth something. They have Snapdragon. That was a change from the previous mistake, not by United, but by TeamViewer.
“We’ve had that one, but we know all about the Chelsea situation. We know all about the various training ground sponsors, training kit sponsors, sleeve sponsors.”
Why Man United haven’t been able to replace big-money sponsor deal
Borson insisted losing the Tezos deal was “huge” for Man United and the club’s hierarchy is right to be concerned.
“Very few significant brands are currently taking major contracts with Premier League football clubs, and that includes Manchester United,” said Borson.
“That’s why since they lost Tezos, which is a huge contract, £24m I think it was, they haven’t been able to replace it. It should be a concern to them.”
Another commercial issue is just around the corner at Old Trafford as Man United’s sleeve sponsorship deal with DXC Technology expires this summer, potentially leaving another £20m hole in the accounts.
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