Liverpool becomes the latest Premier League club to place a travel brand on the front of its matchday kits.
Liverpool has named Turkish Airlines as its front-of-shirt sponsor from the 2027/28 season, ending Standard Chartered’s 17-year run in one of football’s most visible commercial deals.
Under the reported £60m ($81m) agreement, the airline will become Liverpool’s main club partner from June 1, 2027, with its branding to be sported on the front of the men’s, women’s and Academy match shirts.
Given the partnership is only live from next season, there was little information about future activations and fan engagement initiatives in the official release. The club and Turkish Airlines focused on the international reach of both brands.
Ben Latty, Chief Commercial Officer at Liverpool, said: “The front of the Liverpool shirt holds a special place in the history of our club. Turkish Airlines is a globally recognised organisation with an extensive international network, and we look forward to beginning our partnership and building a strong relationship together.”
Ahmet Olmustur, CEO of Turkish Airlines, shared a similar sentiment, noting how the partnership “brings together two global brands united by their international reach, commitment to excellence and ability to inspire millions of people around the world.”
Closing the curtains on Standard Chartered
The deal also marks the end of one of the longest-running front-of-shirt partnerships in English football, with Standard Chartered first appearing on Liverpool shirts in 2010.
During its time, the bank has received significant exposure, including appearing on Liverpool shirts during both of the club’s Premier League title-winning campaigns.
The relationship with the Merseyside club has also helped reach people outside of the stands at Anfield, with a staple setting being Money20/20 Europe in Amsterdam every June, a financial industry trade show.
Last year, former Liverpool captain Sami Hyypiä appeared with Standard Chartered Director of Financial Markets Lee Gunning at the event, where the former defender discussed leadership and Liverpool’s 2005 Champions League comeback in front of an audience made up of banks, fintech companies and payments professionals.
The bank will retain a relationship with Liverpool following the end of its current agreement, becoming a global partner from June 2027. More details on what this new role entails are expected to be shared closer to the time.
Travel lands Liverpool deal
Attention around Premier League shirt sponsorship took off ahead of this season as clubs prepared for the voluntary ban on gambling companies appearing on the front of shirts.
Financial services has emerged as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the ban, with clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester United securing partnerships with institutions from the sector.
Data supplied to Insider Sport by Ampere Analysis last week showed financial services companies accounted for an estimated £94.1m in new Premier League premium sponsorship spend for 2026/27, more than any other sector.
Ampere therefore identified financial services as the most likely category to replace Standard Chartered at Liverpool, with technology second and travel ranked third.
Notably, Ampere said before the announcement that if Liverpool selected a travel company, an airline was more likely than a tourism body because of the price the club would be expected to demand.
More analysis about how the deal stacks up against other Premier League front-of-shirt deals is expected in this week’s Partnership Playbook newsletter, which is published every Wednesday on LinkedIn.
