Football and Crypto: Record Sponsorships in 2024/25

• Premier League clubs earned a record £129.7M from crypto sponsorships in 2024/25
• Crypto sponsorships are filling the gap left by reduced gambling deals
• Formula 1 also sees strong crypto investments, showcasing long-term partnerships

The 2024/25 season is one of records for the crypto world in the Premier League, which is the richest and most visible football league in the world.

Crypto and Football

According to data reported by SportQuake, an agency specializing in sports sponsorships (not just football, but also Formula 1 and e-sports), for the current year, Premier League teams would have earned a staggering £129.7 million – a figure that surpasses even that of the 2022-23 season, in a highly symbolic overtaking, as it comes at the expense of a season that was still during the full bull market.

In other words, exchanges (mainly) have resumed investing in advertising significantly, even though many are still questioning what phase we are really in.

Good signs from the Premier League, where, among other things, it was the restrictions and hesitations towards sponsorships from another somewhat anomalous sector, that of betting and gambling, that opened the doors to crypto sponsorships.

A Good Signal?

Yes, and this is the opinion of Matt House, who is the head of SportQuake and was recently hosted by Bloomberg. In fact, there has been a reopening from sports brands that were once reluctant to offer space to the crypto world, after scandals, failures, and many unpaid bills from companies that later ended up in court.

Open hostility that was justified but has now diminished, partly out of necessity. The flow of money that once came from major betting brands has dried up – and a costly league like the Premier had to necessarily become less… picky.

A similar case – although without exact numbers – can also be seen in Italy. After the disastrous case of Digitalbits – which had secured major sponsorships with Inter and Roma, only to disappear without paying several invoices, there has been a slow but steady return of important deals between major clubs and – this time – major intermediaries in the crypto world. Like Bitpanda, which became Milan’s sponsor.

There’s also the return of smaller crypto projects on the jerseys of Serie A teams, with partnership announcements that have often left crypto industry experts… speechless.

However, even in Italy, despite some rich but sporadic initiatives, it seems that things are starting to move again. For the more cynical, this is a sign of a market top, meaning the highest price level of this cycle.

For those who prefer a more measured take, it indicates that the sector has become more mature, probably richer, and still capable of sustaining sponsorships that are no longer one-off, but solid, multi-year deals that, most importantly, pay the bills.

Formula 1 still at the top?

Then there’s the larger issue of Formula 1. Here too, many major brands have decided to open their wallets to secure a top-tier showcase. Bybit continues to be the top sponsor of Red Bull (a multi-year deal worth £150 million!), Kraken is perhaps the most visible sponsor of Williams, and many others have smaller positions.

Conclusion

These multi-year partnerships demonstrate two things: first, that the crypto world can move fast. Second – which might surprise many – is that, with the right brands, crypto can also go far.