German football team RB Leipzig has announced a partnership with sports brand Puma, cutting ties with Nike after a decade.
As part of the agreement, starting from 1 July, Puma will become an “exclusive partner” and be responsible for creating kits for all the club’s teams from the men’s, women’s, youth and esports departments, as well as the football school.
Puma, originally from Herzogenaurach, Germany, has also secured a variety of sponsorship rights from merchandising, match day advertising in the Red Bull Arena and the RB Leipzig Football Academy as well as digital activations.
Arne Freundt, CEO of Puma, stated: “The Red Bulls of RB Leipzig have made a name for themselves in a very short time, not just in Germany but also internationally. We are looking forward to many fantastic football moments and are excited to join the club on this successful journey in the coming years.”
Prior to this deal, RB Leipzig had a longstanding relationship with Nike, which will come to an end in June.
So far this year, Nike has ended several agreements including one of its most famous partnerships with American golfer Tiger Woods, a partnership that lasted for 27-years and no doubt benefited both parties handsomely.
Additionally, the sports brand was also replaced by Adidas as the Saudi Pro League’s ball sponsor midway through the 2023/34 season.
Johann Plenge, Managing Director at RB Leipzig, commented: “We are glad that we have secured a long-term partnership with such a well-known company. For RB Leipzig, the partnership with Puma is another big and important step in the development of the club.
“Not only will we benefit from Puma’s first-class knowledge and equip our teams for the biggest possible success, but we will also work on different projects together and push innovation in football. Puma is young, dynamic and fast, which matches perfectly with our values as a club and our RB-Leipzig DNA.”
