Danish sportswear brand hummel has added Celta Vigo to its portfolio of Spanish sports teams to become the leading team sport brand in the country.
With its recent partnership with La Liga‘s Celta Vigo, hummel now sponsors 39 of the 192 professional teams across football, handball, volleyball and basketball in Spain, accounting for 20% of all professional clubs in the country.
Thanks to its strategic focus on the Spanish market, hummel has outpaced its main competitors, sponsoring three times more clubs than its nearest rival, Nike, which backs 13 professional clubs, with Adidas following closely behind at 12.
Lars Stentebjerg, CEO of hummel, commented: “This impressive milestone reflects our deep connection to team sports and our strong presence in the Spanish market. Competing against global giants like Nike, Adidas and Puma makes this accomplishment even more significant, and our success here is a clear signal of our brand’s strength and potential.
“We remain committed to further growth, enhancing our presence and expanding our influence at all levels of professional sports in Spain.”
The Danish sportswear brand hummel has seen substantial growth of over 30% in its Spanish market, driven largely by partnerships with football clubs. Key deals, including the recent addition of Celta Vigo, have been central to this strategy, alongside sponsorships of prominent clubs like Real Betis, Las Palmas, Tenerife, Malaga and Eibar.
“The Spanish market is a vital part of our global strategy, and we have high expectations for the years to come. Our strong presence in team sports has significantly bolstered our brand, positively impacting other categories as well. As we continue our global expansion, Spain has emerged as a key market where we aim to achieve a turnover of €50m by the end of 2028,” Stentebjerg added.
Despite securing numerous sponsorship deals, hummel remains an underdog in Spanish football. This is largely because of the strong reputations of Nike and Adidas, both of which have high-profile partnerships with the sport’s powerhouses, Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Earlier this year, hummel appeared to have an opportunity to explore a partnership with Barcelona amid the club’s contract negotiations with Nike, which at one point had Barcelona considering the possibility of producing its own kits.
However, recent reports indicate that the disagreement has been settled, with Barcelona and Nike nearing the finalisation of a renewed partnership.
