The London City Lionesses, of English women's soccer's top-tier WSL, have signed a multi-year front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with sportswear giant Nike that the club has claimed is the largest-ever in the women's game.
Michele Kang, the colorful owner of the London WSL team, has also said that the deal is worth more than the equivalent front-of-shirt deals for three men's English Premier League sides.
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Nike was unveiled as the main sponsor for London City Lionesses – the only side in the 14-team WSL not attached to a men's club – yesterday. The brand is already the team's kit supplier, as of last year (indeed, that separate deal has now been extended through 2030-31).
The distinctive Nike 'swoosh' logo will not, however, adorn the team's shirts – instead, it will be a symbol of "the ancient Goddess of Victory from whom the company takes its name," as the team has phrased it.
In addition, the two parties will now engage in community activation around London City Lionesses games, while there will also be research around female athletic development.
Kang told BBC Sport: "I can absolutely confirm that this is the largest women-only front-of-shirt deal. I can absolutely also share that it is higher than some of the men's Premier League front-of-shirt deals. It's huge. That's why it's landmark."
The existing annual top sponsorship fee covering a women's team's front-of-shirt deal is reportedly around $4 million. That is the fee believed to have been agreed between the new Atlanta team (which will make its debut in North America's National Women's Soccer League in 2028) and Aflac.
The other 13 WSL teams (the league is expanding to 14 for 2026-27, up from 12 last year) share shirt sponsors with their associated men's teams.
The new kit will make its debut today, with London City Lionesses taking on Manchester United in their first game of the 2026-27 WSL season.
The South London club has been extremely active in bringing in players over the last few months, signing multiple high-profile stars, including Spanish icons Alexia Putellas and Mapi Leon, as well as well-known former England goalkeeper Mary Earps.
The London City Lionesses have only been in the WSL for one season, finishing sixth (out of 12 teams) in 2025-26.
Kang, meanwhile, also owns the NWSL's Washington Spirit, as well as OL Lyonnes, of France's top-tier women's league.
Elsewhere, the WSL has announced a new insurance partner, teaming up with London-based WTW in a multi-year deal.
WTW is now set to work with the member clubs from both the WSL and the second-tier WSL 2 to design insurance solutions for players specifically from those leagues. These plans will be tailored to protect female athletes from the risk of injury and other health challenges throughout their careers.
WSL players – and women's soccer players in general – earn significantly less than their male counterparts, and clubs in general are not as well-funded, meaning long-term injuries and subsequent loss of playing contracts can be disastrous for those affected.
In terms of recent WSL commercial activity, the women's league and online accommodation booking service Airbnb announced a sponsorship deal in early June.
Airbnb becomes the WSL’s official accommodation and unique experiences partner.
The league is title sponsored by Barclays bank.
