Bundesliga sponsorship outnumbered Premier League

The German Bundesliga has gained impressive status in the world of shirt sponsorship, following a recent announcement that its total related income outnumbered that of the English Premier League.

While the German football league may not be functioning at full capacity, Bayern Munich now holds the reigns in the most valuable shirt deal, beating out Manchester United.

In its tenth annual European Jersey report, SPORT+MARKT indicated that economic conditions are directly influencing England’s sponsorship deals because of the current value of the GBP against the EUR. Ongoing market changes can also be held responsible for the decrease in shirt sponsorship deals across the six primary European leagues. Since last season, the numbers have fallen by about EUR 12 million, a first for the leagues.

In a statement issued by The Times, SPORT+MARKT Executive Director Hartmut Zastrow confirmed the facts, stating that a weakened British pound is at the source of the Premier League’s shirt sponsorship decline. He also pointed out the fact that XL airlines, sponsor to West Ham United, has gone bankrupt, in addition to West Bromwich’s ongoing quest for a sponsor.

Despite the fact that in recent years, an increasing number of financial institutions have replaced the more traditional types of sponsors in Europe, Zastrow expects to see another shift take place on account of the economic crisis. He further noted that if the British pound regains its strength, the Premier League will very likely resume its role as shirt sponsorship leader.