A regulatory shift in English football is opening one of the most valuable sponsorship windows in global sport and fintech brands are positioning themselves to take advantage.
That was the central message from a panel at Finance Magnates London Summit 2025, where club executives and brand leaders argued that the upcoming ban on betting companies from front-of-shirt sponsorships in the Premier League will reshape the commercial landscape as early as the 2026–27 season.
“Front-of-shirt sponsorship has become some of the most valuable inventory in world sport,” said Matt House, chief executive of Sportquake, who moderated the discussion.
Until now, only four or five Premier League clubs typically changed their front-of-shirt sponsors each year. That dynamic is set to shift this summer, as new rules banning betting brands from the position free up a much larger number of sponsorship slots.
The result, panelists agreed, is a rare opportunity for non-betting brands – particularly fintech, trading and financial services firms – to step into a space long dominated by gambling operators.
From left: Matt House, Hannah Hill, Becky Hampton, Mark Rollings
Why Fintech Fits the front of the Shirt
For clubs, the appeal of fintech sponsors extends well beyond headline fees. Mark Rollings, chief partnerships officer at Everton, said successful partnerships hinge on creating value for three stakeholders simultaneously: the brand, the club, and supporters.
“Fintech profiles as innovative, fast-moving and globally relevant,” Rollings said. “That aligns well with where football clubs are heading, particularly in terms of digital engagement and connecting with younger, more digitally native fans.”
He also noted fintech firms help clubs boost digital and fan experiences at venues as clubs invest in stadium technology. “There’s still only one of 20 opportunities to be on the front of a Premier League kit,” Rollings noted. “That scarcity matters. But the real value is becoming culturally relevant, week after week, in the world’s biggest sporting drama.”
Brand Perspective: Awareness, Access, and Alignment
For brands, awareness remains the primary driver, but other factors now shape sponsorship decisions. Hannah Hill, sponsorship and brand director at Axi, said the company’s search for partnerships led them directly to the Premier League due to its unmatched reach.
“The Premier League is the most-watched sports league in the world, so awareness is almost built in,” she said. “But it also aligned very closely with our demographics and our key markets.”
Axi’s partnership with Manchester City has enabled effective campaign localization and access to the wider City Football Group ecosystem, including women’s football. Operating in a regulated industry also shaped the strategy.
“We don’t always have access to traditional marketing channels,” Hill said. “Sponsorship gives us visibility in markets we wouldn’t otherwise reach.”
Challenger Brands and the Trust Factor
Not every fintech brand can justify a front-of-shirt deal, and that is where alternative assets still play a role. Becky Hampton of Trade Nation explained why the company opted for a sleeve sponsorship with Aston Villa.
“As a challenger brand, awareness was critical,” she said. “The sleeve delivers global visibility with far less clutter, not just to home fans but to away fans watching worldwide.”
Trust was another decisive factor. “Our industry can struggle with credibility,” Hampton said. “Aligning with a Premier League club helps transfer trust – not just from the club itself, but from the broader sponsorship ecosystem around it.”
Since launch, the partnership has evolved from pure visibility toward conversion and customer engagement. “Sponsorship doesn’t work if it stops at awareness,” she said. “It has to sit within the customer journey – CRM, sales, education – otherwise it’s just a logo on a shirt.”
Women’s Football and Smarter Activation
Several speakers highlighted women’s football as an underappreciated opportunity for financial brands. Hill said Axi’s campaigns linked to Manchester City’s women’s team have consistently outperformed comparable men’s campaigns, despite smaller audiences.
“The women’s audience is more financially astute and more receptive to investment-related messaging,” she said. Rollings agreed, noting that clubs increasingly encourage partners to adopt a portfolio approach rather than focusing solely on men’s teams.
“It’s rare now for brands to come to us with a men’s-only brief,” he said. “The engagement may be smaller, but it’s often deeper.” Hill stressed that brands with tighter budgets should maximise assets through close collaboration with clubs. “It’s not about having more money,” she said. “It’s about using what you have more intelligently.”
Measuring ROI — and Looking Ahead
Measuring impact remains one of the most challenging aspects of sponsorship. Hill said Axi relies on a combination of brand trackers, fan surveys, web traffic, social metrics, and share-of-voice analysis, often in collaboration with the club itself.
“Awareness doesn’t happen overnight,” she said. “It’s a journey.” Clubs, meanwhile, are investing more heavily in partner analytics to help sponsors justify spend internally — a critical factor as marketing budgets come under pressure.
Looking ahead, the panel argued that the upcoming World Cup in North America will further amplify the value of credible football partnerships. Brands do not need to be official tournament sponsors to benefit, Rollings said. “If you have a legitimate place in football, interest naturally lifts as the World Cup approaches — and fans return to the Premier League immediately after.”
A Rare Reset
House summarised the discussion: the betting ban has created a rare moment for football sponsorship, offering innovative brands new opportunities to enter a previously restricted space. “This is a unique chance to become the new face of the Premier League,” he said.
“Trading brands are already monetising it, clubs are more flexible and consultative than ever, and success will come down to planning, alignment and execution.”
Panelists agreed: for fintech and trading companies that look past just putting their logo on a shirt and use sponsorship as a strategic asset, front-of-shirt opportunities remain among the most powerful and challenging platforms in global marketing.
A regulatory shift in English football is opening one of the most valuable sponsorship windows in global sport and fintech brands are positioning themselves to take advantage.
That was the central message from a panel at Finance Magnates London Summit 2025, where club executives and brand leaders argued that the upcoming ban on betting companies from front-of-shirt sponsorships in the Premier League will reshape the commercial landscape as early as the 2026–27 season.
“Front-of-shirt sponsorship has become some of the most valuable inventory in world sport,” said Matt House, chief executive of Sportquake, who moderated the discussion.
Until now, only four or five Premier League clubs typically changed their front-of-shirt sponsors each year. That dynamic is set to shift this summer, as new rules banning betting brands from the position free up a much larger number of sponsorship slots.
The result, panelists agreed, is a rare opportunity for non-betting brands – particularly fintech, trading and financial services firms – to step into a space long dominated by gambling operators.
From left: Matt House, Hannah Hill, Becky Hampton, Mark Rollings
Why Fintech Fits the front of the Shirt
For clubs, the appeal of fintech sponsors extends well beyond headline fees. Mark Rollings, chief partnerships officer at Everton, said successful partnerships hinge on creating value for three stakeholders simultaneously: the brand, the club, and supporters.
“Fintech profiles as innovative, fast-moving and globally relevant,” Rollings said. “That aligns well with where football clubs are heading, particularly in terms of digital engagement and connecting with younger, more digitally native fans.”
He also noted fintech firms help clubs boost digital and fan experiences at venues as clubs invest in stadium technology. “There’s still only one of 20 opportunities to be on the front of a Premier League kit,” Rollings noted. “That scarcity matters. But the real value is becoming culturally relevant, week after week, in the world’s biggest sporting drama.”
Brand Perspective: Awareness, Access, and Alignment
For brands, awareness remains the primary driver, but other factors now shape sponsorship decisions. Hannah Hill, sponsorship and brand director at Axi, said the company’s search for partnerships led them directly to the Premier League due to its unmatched reach.
“The Premier League is the most-watched sports league in the world, so awareness is almost built in,” she said. “But it also aligned very closely with our demographics and our key markets.”
Axi’s partnership with Manchester City has enabled effective campaign localization and access to the wider City Football Group ecosystem, including women’s football. Operating in a regulated industry also shaped the strategy.
“We don’t always have access to traditional marketing channels,” Hill said. “Sponsorship gives us visibility in markets we wouldn’t otherwise reach.”
Challenger Brands and the Trust Factor
Not every fintech brand can justify a front-of-shirt deal, and that is where alternative assets still play a role. Becky Hampton of Trade Nation explained why the company opted for a sleeve sponsorship with Aston Villa.
“As a challenger brand, awareness was critical,” she said. “The sleeve delivers global visibility with far less clutter, not just to home fans but to away fans watching worldwide.”
Trust was another decisive factor. “Our industry can struggle with credibility,” Hampton said. “Aligning with a Premier League club helps transfer trust – not just from the club itself, but from the broader sponsorship ecosystem around it.”
Since launch, the partnership has evolved from pure visibility toward conversion and customer engagement. “Sponsorship doesn’t work if it stops at awareness,” she said. “It has to sit within the customer journey – CRM, sales, education – otherwise it’s just a logo on a shirt.”
Women’s Football and Smarter Activation
Several speakers highlighted women’s football as an underappreciated opportunity for financial brands. Hill said Axi’s campaigns linked to Manchester City’s women’s team have consistently outperformed comparable men’s campaigns, despite smaller audiences.
“The women’s audience is more financially astute and more receptive to investment-related messaging,” she said. Rollings agreed, noting that clubs increasingly encourage partners to adopt a portfolio approach rather than focusing solely on men’s teams.
“It’s rare now for brands to come to us with a men’s-only brief,” he said. “The engagement may be smaller, but it’s often deeper.” Hill stressed that brands with tighter budgets should maximise assets through close collaboration with clubs. “It’s not about having more money,” she said. “It’s about using what you have more intelligently.”
Measuring ROI — and Looking Ahead
Measuring impact remains one of the most challenging aspects of sponsorship. Hill said Axi relies on a combination of brand trackers, fan surveys, web traffic, social metrics, and share-of-voice analysis, often in collaboration with the club itself.
“Awareness doesn’t happen overnight,” she said. “It’s a journey.” Clubs, meanwhile, are investing more heavily in partner analytics to help sponsors justify spend internally — a critical factor as marketing budgets come under pressure.
Looking ahead, the panel argued that the upcoming World Cup in North America will further amplify the value of credible football partnerships. Brands do not need to be official tournament sponsors to benefit, Rollings said. “If you have a legitimate place in football, interest naturally lifts as the World Cup approaches — and fans return to the Premier League immediately after.”
A Rare Reset
House summarised the discussion: the betting ban has created a rare moment for football sponsorship, offering innovative brands new opportunities to enter a previously restricted space. “This is a unique chance to become the new face of the Premier League,” he said.
“Trading brands are already monetising it, clubs are more flexible and consultative than ever, and success will come down to planning, alignment and execution.”
Panelists agreed: for fintech and trading companies that look past just putting their logo on a shirt and use sponsorship as a strategic asset, front-of-shirt opportunities remain among the most powerful and challenging platforms in global marketing.
