Tottenham Hotspur have always acted rather shrewdly when it comes to securing lucrative sponsorship deals, but it seems the club may have missed a trick with their partnership with Nike.
Nike deal was great at the time for Spurs
Back in 2018, Spurs signed a 15-year deal with American sports brand Nike to be the main kit sponsor for the Lilywhites.
That deal was worth a reported £30m per year, meaning a total sum of £450m guaranteed for Tottenham over the course of the contract.
At the time, that agreement was in line with the biggest deals in the Premier League. It also came at a period of time when Spurs needed a strong revenue stream, with the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium being a significant financial burden.
Interestingly, Spurs also opted to keep their merchandising rights in-house while their rivals sold them off as part of their agreements, meaning the club could benefit from sales on their website and the club shop rather than relying on a cut of Nike’s sales.
The tide is turning for sponsorship deals
Tying themselves into such a long-term deal may not have been the right move, though, as the sponsorship market is changing right now, and Spurs risk being left behind.
With Liverpool agreeing to sign with Adidas from next season — a deal that will be worth at least £60m per year, and potentially up to £90m per year depending on certain incentives — the German brand is cornering the market among the Big Six in England.
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Arsenal and Manchester United are linked to Adidas, too, with £90m and £75m deals in place. Meanwhile, Manchester City’s collaboration with Puma is worth £65m.
Nike would be keen to offer more now
With only Spurs and Chelsea sticking with Nike from next season, it’s likely the brand would have been willing to offer considerably larger amounts to ensure they maintained those partnerships with two of the league’s biggest teams.
So, a sensible commitment from Spurs back in 2018 may now mean they are losing out on improved terms if they were able to renegotiate. Sadly, they’ll have to wait until 2033 to change their kit sponsor.