The Guardian: London City Lionesses Secure Women's Football's Biggest-Ever Front-of-Shirt Sponsorship Deal, Surpassing Some Premier League Men's Clubs

On September 4 Beijing time, according to The Guardian, Women's Super League (WSL) club London City Lionesses have reached a front-of-shirt advertising sponsorship agreement with Nike, setting a record for the biggest sponsorship contract in women's football history.

London City Lionesses' American owner Michele Kang revealed that this is the largest sponsorship of its kind in women's football.

Although the specific length and value of the contract have not been disclosed, people within the club described it as a "game-changing" moment. Michele Kang also said the value of the sponsorship exceeds the front-of-shirt advertising contracts of some Premier League men's clubs.

This Friday, London City Lionesses will host Manchester United in the WSL season opener. This is only their second season after being promoted to the top division. However, they made a major impact in the summer transfer market, signing several top stars including former Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, former England goalkeeper Mary Earps, and Putellas' Barcelona and Spain national team teammate Mapi Leon.

According to previous reports, the largest front-of-shirt sponsorship deal in women's football was secured by the Atlanta team, a new NWSL club set to join in 2028, at around $4 million per year. However, Michele Kang said in an interview with media: "I can clearly confirm that this is the largest single front-of-shirt sponsorship deal in women's football, with a value that has surpassed Atlanta's agreement."

"I can also reveal that the value of this sponsorship is even higher than the front-of-shirt deals of some Premier League men's clubs. This is a huge investment, and that is why it is a milestone. So many people firmly believe in the future of women's football. Nike did not make this decision lightly, and this is not a charitable donation. They believe in the prospects of women's football and believe we can invest together and build the future."

The agreement will significantly improve London City Lionesses' financial situation. The club's latest financial report shows that in the 2024-25 season, their first after promotion to the top division, annual revenue was only £902,000, while operating losses exceeded £10 million, more than 10 times their revenue.

Their major summer signings had previously raised questions: how could the club afford such high spending under the salary cap restrictions? According to WSL regulations, clubs' player wage spending cannot exceed 80% of relevant revenue plus a maximum owner injection of £4 million. It is understood that with Nike's sponsorship coming into effect, the club's annual revenue will see explosive growth compared with previous seasons.

Nike's high valuation of the club is believed to be linked to the huge social media popularity of the newly signed star players. Putellas alone has 3.4 million social media followers, while Earps and Leon also have significant followings. Putellas helped Spain win the 2023 Women's World Cup and won the UEFA Women's Champions League four times with Barcelona. The Spanish star announced on her personal social media account this Thursday that the club had reached a sponsorship agreement with Nike.