It's stripes out and swooshes in at Stamford Bridge as Nike announce the largest commercial deal in the club's history. Chelsea and adidas had already announced plans to end their contract six years early and now Nike have agreed a deal to become the official kit supplier beginning from the 2017/18 season, right up until 2032.
The colossal long-term agreement will see Nike link-up with Chelsea for the first time and in turn make it the biggest commercial deal Chelsea have ever signed by some way, doubling the £30m a year income from the adidas deal. It was 2006 when adidas first sponsored the club, taking over from Umbro, and ten years on the two parties have gone their separate ways, allowing Nike to swoop in and build their London clubs portfolio. The new deal between Nike and Chelsea is worth an estimated £60 million a year. That's £900m from Nike over the next 15 years.
The deal between adidas and Chelsea in 2013 was reported to have been worth £300m, making it the biggest shirt deal in Premier League history. However, adidas broke their own record the following year, when they agreed to pay £750m to sponsor of Manchester United. The 2016/17 season sees just one Nike Premier League club (Manchester City) so the deal with Nike is very much quality over quantity as Nike look to select only the most competitive clubs in England.
Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said: “This is an incredibly exciting and important deal for the club. Like Chelsea, Nike is known around the world for its excellence and innovation and we look forward to working together in what is sure to be a successful partnership. We believe Nike will be able to support our growth into new markets as well as helping us maintain our place among the world’s elite football clubs."
Trevor Edwards, President of the Nike Brand, said: “Chelsea is a world-class club with a rich tradition and passionate fans across the globe. The partnership with Chelsea reinforces our leadership position in football. We are excited to help grow the club’s global reach, serving players and supporters with Nike innovation and design."
To compare Chelsea's Nike deal with other top clubs, Real Madrid this year agreed a 10-year deal with Adidas worth around £106m every season, while Manchester United’s contract with Adidas, is worth a minimum £750m over 10 years. Still, you can buy and sell and buy back a lot of David Luiz's for £900m.
