Anticipate an upcoming announcement regarding a deal valued at approximately £40 million with the sports data firm
Chelsea has received Premier League approval for Infinite Athlete, a sports data company, to become the club’s primary shirt sponsor. The agreement, rumored to be valued at around £40 million for the season, is now official. Infinite Athlete’s logo will prominently feature on Chelsea’s jerseys.
An official announcement is expected on Wednesday, at which point the duration of the sponsorship deal may be clarified. This development is a significant boost for Chelsea, which had been without a primary shirt sponsor for the first six Premier League matches of the season.
Unfortunately, the deal didn’t materialize in time for Infinite Athlete’s logo to appear on Chelsea’s jerseys during the recent Carabao Cup match against Brighton. However, it could make its debut in the upcoming Premier League game against Fulham next Monday.
The sponsorship agreement encompasses both Chelsea’s men’s and women’s teams, although it remains uncertain whether Infinite Athlete will be the front-of-shirt sponsor solely for this season or if the partnership will extend beyond the current campaign. There is also the possibility that the arrangement with Infinite Athlete may take on a different form in the future.
Chelsea had explored sponsorship opportunities with Riyadh Air, a Saudi airline, but the Infinite Athlete deal ultimately came to fruition. Infinite Athlete, launched at the beginning of August, provided detailed financial information to the Premier League to comply with fair market value regulations and secure approval to display their logo on Chelsea’s jerseys.
Sources affirm that the initial deal presented to the Premier League did not require significant alterations or revaluation under fair market value guidelines.
Initially, Infinite Athlete explored stadium naming rights deals globally before making their offer to become Chelsea’s primary shirt sponsor. They informed the Premier League that they had already secured hundreds of millions in investment and generated revenue in the same range from their investors and backers.
Chelsea began the Chelsea season without a shirt sponsor after their contract with Three expired during the summer. A proposed deal with Paramount was blocked by the Premier League, and negotiations with Stake were discontinued.
In addition to evaluating the deal’s value and financial backing, the Premier League scrutinized investment connections between Infinite Athlete and Chelsea’s co-controlling owners, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali. Tempus Ex Machina, with whom Chelsea entered into a seven-year product partnership in April, acquired Biocore to establish Infinite Management. This entity counts Silver Lake among its partners.
Silver Lake holds over 18 percent ownership in the City Football Group and has investments in Fanatics, along with Eldridge, owned by Boehly. Clearlake Capital, co-owned by Eghbali, led a $700 million financing round for Fanatics last year.
However, the Premier League evidently found the presented information satisfactory, and Chelsea has now joined the roster of partners at Infinite Athlete. The company already has agreements with various sports leagues worldwide, including the NFL, and recently announced a partnership with the tech-focused golf series founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.