Welcome to Insider Sport’s latest edition of the Partnership Playbook, where we bring you details on the latest sports partnerships and sponsorships.
Transfer deadline day closed yesterday, but big-money deals are still on our agenda.
Liverpool could be heading towards the end of an era with Standard Chartered, so we looked at which sectors are spending the most on Premier League sponsorship to see who might replace the bank.
Elsewhere, Good Good Golf has stepped away from its PGA Tour title sponsorship after a controversial advert, showing what can happen when creator culture and corporate partnerships don’t quite align.
Euro 2028 is still around two years away, but the business of the tournament is coming together as hospitality sales open across all nine venues.
Finally, Amazon has tapped into the HYROX boom. Whether you are obsessed with it or rolling your eyes, more than two million participants are expected this season.
Liverpool’s next shirt sponsor? Follow the money
Liverpool could have a new brand on the front of its shirt next season as Standard Chartered’s exclusive renewal window reportedly closed without an agreement.
Standard Chartered has been a staple on the front of Liverpool shirts, with the partnership dating back to 2010. The bank has benefited from plenty of exposure, including being the main sponsor during Liverpool’s first two Premier League title wins.
However, the era could be coming to an end. So, where is the next sponsor likely to come from?
Data provided to Insider Sport by Ampere Analysis shows financial services companies accounted for an estimated £94.1m of new Premier League premium sponsorship spend for 2026/27, more than any other sector.
The money is coming from traditional banks, trading, payments and cryptocurrency companies, as well as challenger banks such as Revolut, Monzo and Starling, which have also increased their football activity.
Chelsea was the latest club to add to those numbers, putting USDC, the stablecoin issued by Circle, on the front of its shirt for 2026/27. If you don’t know what a stablecoin is, don’t worry, as I did my best to explain them last week.
If Liverpool wants to move away from finance, Ampere sees technology as another sector to watch, particularly AI and SaaS companies competing for global visibility.
This would also be fairly topical given Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos has just gained a connection to Anfield through the consortium that bought a minority stake in Liverpool.
Good Good shows the risk that comes with creator partnerships
Good Good Golf has stepped away as title sponsor of the PGA Tour’s event in Austin following backlash over a promotional video with Callaway.
Good Good was set to title the tournament in November, showing how seriously the PGA Tour was taking the creator brand’s reach among younger golf fans.
The advert was intended as a play on the horror film Obsession, which has inspired online skits about people becoming fixated on a person or object. In Good Good’s version, the object was a Callaway driver, with Co-founder Garrett Clark pushing colleague Alexis Miestowski to the ground after she reached for the club.
However, the joke didn’t travel well into the corporate world.
Callaway reportedly approved the advert before it was published, but later apologised and ended its partnership with Good Good. Clark and CEO Matt Kendrick also criticised the execution, apologised and withdrew from the PGA Tour event.
It highlights an awkward reality for sports businesses that yearn for the personality, reach, and younger audiences creators bring, but where creator culture and corporate brand standards don’t always match.
The tournament will still take place from 12-15 November, with new sponsorship plans to follow.
Euro 2028 is open for business
England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales will host UEFA Euro 2028 and preparations to turn the tournament into a commercial success are well underway.
Work starting already will probably not surprise anyone after the 2026 FIFA World Cup showed how much money can be made from an international football tournament, even if FIFA has spent much of its time since dealing with different headlines.
One of Euro 2028’s first major products is on sale, with BEYOND Hospitality opening hospitality packages across all nine tournament venues.
The offer includes everything from private suites and premium lounges to more social, supporter-focused options.
BEYOND expects demand to exceed previous editions, which isn’t difficult to understand given the tournament will be played in four established football markets and across some of the UK and Ireland’s biggest stadiums.
Euro 2028 will feature 24 teams and 51 matches, kicking off in Cardiff on 9 June before the semi-finals and final take place at Wembley Stadium.
Amazon taps into HYROX
Amazon has become an official global partner of HYROX, with the deal covering ecommerce, music, event activations and title sponsorship of HYROX London.
I don’t know if it is fair, but I tend to put HYROX and padel in a similar category. Both have surged in popularity, both seem to split opinion and, importantly for sponsors, both have huge numbers of people taking part.
For those who haven’t come across it before, a HYROX race combines eight 1km runs with eight functional workout stations, using the same format at events around the world.
Its simplicity and the fact that almost anyone can train towards completing one have helped HYROX grow. More than two million participants are expected across 107 race weekends in 2026/27, according to the organisation.
This is also a lot of people buying trainers, nutrition, recovery products, wearables and equipment, which is where Amazon comes in.
The company has launched dedicated HYROX storefronts across six European markets, while Amazon Music will provide curated playlists and Amazon will run activations at major events.
“This partnership marks a major milestone for HYROX and reflects the incredible global growth of the sport we have witnessed this season,” said Moritz Fürste, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer at HYROX.
“Partnering with Amazon allows us to better support our rapidly expanding community by making it easier for athletes to access the products they need to prepare, train and race, all in one place.”
Snapshot Moves
- The USTA has named Kalshi the first official prediction market partner of the US Open in a multi-year deal.
- FIBA and MotoGP will stage a joint 3×3 basketball showcase in Rimini ahead of the San Marino Grand Prix.
- Leeds United has named eToro its official trading partner in a multi-year deal covering both the men’s and women’s teams.
- BMO has become the official bank of the Los Angeles Lakers, which includes practice kit branding, courtside naming rights and community programmes across Southern California.
- The Bundesliga has extended its partnership with EA SPORTS FC, renewing a relationship that dates back to 1998.
- CELSIUS has become the official energy drink partner of ATHX Games, with branded activations and product sampling across the hybrid fitness competition’s UK events.
- WTW has been selected as the official insurance partner of the Barclays WSL and WSL2, which will include work on a tailored insurance solution for players across both leagues.
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