Arsenal, the English soccer giants, and Dubai-based airline Emirates have today (August 2) extended their long-running shirt sponsorship deal until 2028.
The renewed agreement is believed to be worth around £50 million ($64 million) per season, an increase on the previous £40-million per-year contract which was claimed to be the largest sponsorship deal in the Premier League club's history.
Emirates' shirt sponsorship of Arsenal was due to expire at the end of the upcoming 2023-24 season, while its stadium naming rights deal runs until 2028. Those deals were worth £150 million combined when signed in November 2012.
The partnership between the two parties is the longest-running front-of-shirt sponsorship in Premier League history. With the club’s deal with the carrier beginning in July 2006, the collaboration will reach a minimum of 22 years.
#ad Woven Together 🧵
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 2, 2023
For 17 years Arsenal and @Emirates have been woven together as one 🪡
With great pride and excitement, we’ve extended the longest running front-of-shirt partnership in the Premier League until 2028 ✈️
The agreement comes ahead of Arsenal’s Emirates Cup pre-season match against France’s AS Monaco later today.
Emirates also extended its long-standing shirt sponsorship agreements with Spanish giants Real Madrid and Italy’s AC Milan over the past year.
The renewal with Real Madrid, signed last October, will run until the end of the 2025-26 season and is thought to be worth €70 million per season plus variables, while the extension with Milan, announced in December, is valued at around valued €30 million annually and will expire in 2029.
The airline has front-of-shirt agreements with several other major soccer clubs across Europe including France’s Lyon and Portugal’s Benfica.
Juliet Slot, Arsenal’s chief commercial officer, said: “We are incredibly proud to make history by extending our partnership with Emirates until 2028. The longevity of our relationship is a sign of our enduring shared values, our ambition to bring our global communities together, and our commitment to building on the numerous achievements that have marked our 17-year journey to date.
“As we take our partnership to a minimum of 22 years together, we’re excited to move forward and we’re focused on celebrating more incredible moments with our supporters around the world.”
Tim Clark, Emirates Airline president, added: “I’m proud of the journey that Emirates and Arsenal have shared over the past 17 years. Together, we’ve celebrated triumphs and stood strong against challenges.
“Our partnership has been built on a shared vision of excellence and a dedication to enriching the experiences of fans around the world. Emirates is very pleased to extend and reaffirm its partnership with Arsenal.”
Arsenal's initial £100-million agreement with Emirates for the shirt sponsorship (eight years) and naming rights for the 60,000-seat stadium (15 years) came into fruition at the start of the 2006-07 season, when The Emirates Stadium opened.
In September, the North London-based club extended their kit supply deal with German sportswear brand adidas until 2030.
In English soccer, Emirates is also the title sponsor of the prestigious FA Cup knockout competition until 2024.
