In the rough and tumble of the EFL Championship, in which every game is a tough game, nothing is for sure. Because of the unpredictable nature of the league, deals with primary shirt sponsors are generally short-term in nature, meaning that the majority of teams will change shirt sponsors almost every season.
This is a far cry from the Premier League, in which the league’s established sides will generally sign multi-year, multi-million-pound deals with some of the world’s biggest brands. However, there are exceptions: Stoke City have been sponsored by bet365, who also own the naming rights to their stadium, since 2012, with the betting brand showing what might at first appear to be rare loyalty to the Potters, who have found themselves marooned in the Championship in recent years. But given the same family own the betting brand and the football club, things make more sense.
Furthermore, whilst Nottingham Forest and Chelsea have started their respective Premier League seasons without shirt sponsors, this is not a luxury afforded to those in England’s second tier. As Championship budgets are considerably smaller, due to significantly less revenue from TV, shirt sponsors provide teams with much-needed cash that can be used to develop their squads, improve facilities, or just pay the bills!
In this article, we will be separating the 24 teams’ shirt sponsors by industry, rounding up any information on the deals that have been signed. It is also worth noting that unless otherwise specified, each of these sponsors will appear on all three of the team’s kits: home, away and third.
Gambling Sponsors – 5
Whilst gambling firms have dominated the Championship’s shirt sponsors for years, the 2023/24 season has seen a slight decline in the number of teams with betting sponsors, with just five teams having a gambling brand on the front of their shirts. This is down from seven in the 2022/23 season, as Coventry City and Birmingham City have both switched from gambling brand BoyleSports to sponsors from different industries. Surprisingly, there are now more Premier League sides (seven) with betting sponsors than in the Championship, despite gambling companies typically suiting Championship sides as they are normally willing to pay more than other sponsors.
However, whilst it was announced earlier this year that betting sponsors will be banned from Premier League shirts (well, on the front at least), no similar ban for the Championship (which is itself sponsored by Sky Bet) appears to be on the cards. In fact, the English Football League, the governing body of the Championship, League One and League Two, has previously declared that a ban on betting would cost its clubs £40 million a year, and betting therefore plays an important role in ensuring the financial stability of lower-league sides.
Despite a ban not coming into place imminently, it is interesting to note that there has been a vast increase in non-betting sponsors in the second tier in recent years, considering that there were a remarkable 17 teams with gambling sponsors back in 2018/19! Below, we have compiled a table to show which teams have betting sponsors, and where these brands are headquartered.
| Team | Sponsor | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesbrough | Unibet | Malta |
| Southampton | Sportsbet.io | Isle of Man |
| Stoke City | bet365 | UK |
| Sunderland | Spreadex Sports | UK |
| Watford | MrQ | UK |
Interestingly, the Championship sides sponsored by betting companies are some of the “biggest” in the division, in terms of stature, with Southampton having just been relegated from the Premier League, and Sunderland having by far the biggest stadium in the division. For the Saints, they have retained their front-of-shirt sponsor, Sportbet.io, from the Premier League, with the gambling brand appearing on the South Coast club’s shirts since 2020, when they signed the most lucrative deal in the club’s history. As previously mentioned, Stoke’s deal with bet365 is long-running, with the gambling giants also owning the naming rights to the club’s stadium. The brand is headquartered in Stoke-on-Trent, and has provided the local area with thousands of jobs, making its deal with the Potters unlikely to change any time soon (unless either the club or the betting firm is sold off)!
Out of the five Championship sides with betting sponsors, it is only Watford who have changed their sponsor for this season, with the rest of the teams having signed multi-year deals. After Watford’s deal with Stake.com ended last season, they signed a multi-year agreement with local St Albans-based gambling brand, MrQ. Despite being a gambling company, MrQ serves as a challenger brand within the somewhat controversial industry, attempting to use technology to promote “safe” gambling and to remove the potential risk of gambling addiction. Considering that three of the five gambling sponsors are headquartered in the UK, with Spreadex, who sponsor Sunderland, also being located in St Albans, it appears that clubs are less likely to be sponsored by huge international businesses, which is the case in the Premier League.
Travel & Tourism – 3
Next up, we have travel and tourism, which has increased from two teams to three, following King Power-sponsored Leicester’s relegation to the second tier. Below, we have compiled a table to highlight the Championship sides with travel or tourism sponsors, and where they are headquartered.
| Team | Sponsor | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiff City | Tourism Malaysia | Malaysia |
| Hull City | Corendon Airlines | Turkey |
| Leicester City | King Power | Thailand |
For all three teams, their travel and tourism sponsors are directly related to the ownership of their clubs. Cardiff have been owned by Malaysian-Chinese billionaire businessman, Vincent Tan, since 2010 and have been sponsored by Malaysian sponsors for the entirety of his reign. The club were first sponsored by Visit Malaysia, before changing in 2020 to Malaysia Berjaya, the company founded by Tan himself, before eventually changing again to Tourism Malaysia last season. Tan has been no stranger to controversy during his reign, whether that be replacing the club’s head of recruitment with a 23-year-old who was a friend of his son, or even attempting to rebrand the club’s colours from blue to red!
Hull City, on the other hand, were recently taken over by Turkish sports reporter turned media mogul, Ali Illicali, and have been partnered with Turkish airline, Corenden, since the start of the 2022/23 campaign. Leicester, meanwhile, have a deal with King Power that is long-running and well-established. The Thai brand’s owner, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, purchased the East Midlands club back in 2010 and was succeeded by his son, Aiyawatt, after his tragic death back in 2018. King Power also purchased the club’s stadium back in 2013, starting a golden period in the club’s history in which they famously won both the Premier League and FA Cup. Despite now being in the Championship, King Power have highlighted that they are going nowhere, and remain the club’s primary shirt sponsor.
Energy & Appliances – 3
Below, we have compiled a table to show the three Championship sides with energy or appliance brands as their primary shirt sponsor.
| Team | Sponsor | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Huddersfield Town | Utilia | UK |
| Leeds United | BOXT | UK |
| West Brom | Ideal Heating | UK |
With all three energy or appliance firms based in the UK, it is interesting to note that EFL Championship sides are far more likely to be sponsored by local businesses than top-flight sides. Leeds’s sponsor, boiler company BOXT, have their headquarters in the West Yorkshire city and have taken over from Isle of Man-based betting brand SBOTOP following the club’s relegation.
In Huddersfield’s case, they are now the only team in the division sponsored by energy brand Utilia, who also sponsored now-promoted Luton and now-relegated Blackpool last season. The energy company have sponsored the Terriers since 2021, having signed a multi-year deal that runs out at the end of this season. Ideal Heating are also another long-term Championship sponsor, having served as West Brom’s primary shirt sponsor since 2018, and that deal will also run out at the end of this season, unless it is extended.
Housing/Building Materials – 3
| Team | Sponsor | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Plymouth Argyle | Bond Timber | UK |
| Queens Park Rangers | Convivia | UK |
| Swansea City (Away) | Westacres | Wales, UK |
In the housing sector, we can see three more clubs sponsored by UK-based brands, with both Swansea and Plymouth sponsored by brands who operate in their local area. In Plymouth’s case, Bond Timber are one of the largest timber suppliers in the South West and are sponsoring Argyle’s shirts for the second time, having previously sponsored the club between 2011 and 2014. The club’s new deal with Bond is the most lucrative in their history.
In QPR’s case, they signed a three-year sponsorship deal with housing brand Convivia, who are owned by lifelong fan Roy Ledgister, back in 2022. The brand’s vision is to “drive social mobility and housing equality”, and was only founded back in 2017, aiming to empower the lives of low-income tenants and provide affordable luxury homes. Swansea, on the other hand, have their away kit sponsored by luxury housing brand Westacres, who are based locally in South Wales. Last season, they sponsored the Swans’ home shirts, but now find themselves emblazoned on the away strip. The Welsh side have chosen to have different sponsors on each of their shirts to supposedly “increase the exposure” of their local partners.
Food & Drink – 2
| Team | Sponsor | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Millwall | Huski Chocolate | Sweden |
| Swansea City (Home) | Reviva Coffee | UK |
A Swedish chocolate brand and a club whose chant is “no one likes us, we don’t care” might seem like a chalk-and-cheese combination, but it is one that appears to work, considering that Huski have been the club’s principal partner since 2019, when they signed a bumper five-year deal with the South London side.
Meanwhile, Swansea’s home kits this season will be sponsored by UK-based coffee brand Reviva Coffee, who are aiming to launch globally in 2024. The sustainable brand make their signature blend from 100% Arabica beans from Rainforest Alliance farms and have signed a multi-year deal with the Swans. The brand is also owned by Gulf Oil International Limited, who served as the club’s primary shirt sponsor between 1993 and 1996, making it a reunion of sorts.
Charity – 1
| Team | Sponsor | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Rotherham United | Rotherham Hospice | Rotherham, UK |
Rotherham Hospice, described by the club as “the diamond in the crown of our town”, have become the club’s primary shirt sponsor for the 2023/24 season. The deal is a unique one, with the club establishing a “Diamond Partnership” of six different businesses, who have banded together to raise funds for the great work done at Rotherham Hospice, which requires a reported £3 million a year to run. This deal will aim to therefore bring the people of Rotherham together to support the hospice and raise valuable money for it using their status as a Championship side.
Automotive – 1
| Team | Sponsor | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Norwich City | Lotus Cars | UK |
First announced as the club’s shirt sponsors back in 2021, when the Canaries were in the Premier League, Lotus Cars are now entering their third season as Norwich sponsors, after again extending their deal for another year. The iconic sports car brand is based in Norfolk, and also previously sponsored the club between 2003 and 2006, as well as sponsoring Norwich’s training centre since 2019. After a disappointing season last year, the club will be desperate to get back into the Premier League, although it won’t be easy.
Vaping – 1
Team Sponsor Headquarters
Blackburn Rovers Totally Wicked UK
| Team | Sponsor | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Blackburn Rovers | Totally Wicked | UK |
Considering that cigarette companies have been banned from appearing on football shirts for a number of years, it seems highly surprising that an e-cigarette brand can sponsor a Championship club, but here we are! Blackburn-based Totally Wicked, owned by a fan of the club, have helped out the club as it has suffered financially in recent years and are now entering their sixth season as the primary shirt sponsor. The decision to extend the deal for the upcoming season caused outrage amongst MPs, largely due to fears around the prevalence of underage vaping, and the largely unknown long-term health problems that could be caused by using e-cigarettes.
Toiletries
| Team | Sponsor | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry City | King of Shaves | UK |
Ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, Coventry City announced that they would be partnering with King of Shaves, a men’s grooming company founded by Will King, the brother of Coventry owner, Doug King. Along with Birmingham City, Coventry decided to swap gambling brand BoyleSport for a new business, eventually settling on King of Shaves. The well-known British company have signed a one-year deal, which could potentially be extended at the end of the season.
Clothing – 1
| Team | Sponsor | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham City | UNDEFEATED | USA |
Next up, we have a very unique shirt sponsor within the Championship. For the 23/24 season, Birmingham City have partnered with global streetwear brand UNDEFEATED, who are making their first foray into football sponsorship. The clothing brand, founded in 2002 in America, will see its “five-strike” logo emblazoned on the front of the club’s shirts, a notable departure from last season’s betting sponsor. The Blues’ partnership with UNDEFEATED represents another move towards non-traditional sponsorship within the league, as the streetwear brand will also serve as creative directors for the club’s future merchandise. It’s an American takeover in Birmingham!
Tech -1
| Team | Sponsor | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Sheffield Wednesday | EyUp | Sheffield, UK |
New boys Sheffield Wednesday have recently unveiled their proudly Yorkshire-based sponsor for the upcoming season: tech company EyUp. The company describe themselves as a “proud Yorkshire venture which is creating software developers, generating jobs and investing in start-ups across the North of England.” The business was founded by David Richards, a Wednesday fan who was also a co-founder of WANdisco, who sponsored the Owls’ kits in the past.
Misc – 4
Finally, we have grouped the final four shirt sponsors on the list together. As they are all rather unique or specialised (one of them is a singer), we have compiled them into a table below.
| Team | Sponsor | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Bristol City | Huboo | UK |
| Ipswich | Ed Sheeran | His Guitar? |
| Preston North End | PAR Group | UK |
| Swansea (Third) | Owens Group | Wales, UK |
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Last but not least, we have three specialised, UK-based businesses and a singer-songwriter! Ed Sheeran, a big fan of the Tractor Boys and a Suffolk resident, decided to sponsor Ipswich’s shirts back in 2021, with the logo featured on the shirts made up of the different symbols of the singer’s albums. Sheeran, who has been involved in a number of charitable projects in the local area, said “The football club is a big part of the local community, and this is my way of showing my support.”
Bristol City’s partnership with Huboo, who specialise in order fulfilment for eCommerce businesses, is entering its second season, having been agreed at the start of last season. Preston, on the other hand, have been sponsored by rubber and plastic company the PAR Group since 2021. Finally, Swansea agreed a multi-year extension with Logistics brand Owens Group ahead of this season, with the company’s logo appearing on the club’s third shirt, as well as on their training kits.