- Roo Legend: Rooney Retires from England duty!
- Australasia gets represented in the Premier League this year!
- Sanchez in North London, Where Have We Heard That Before?
- Sigurdsson Sale: Swansea could face Ragnarok after losing Thor!
- 2017/18 Premier League Predictions!
- PSG set to trigger record Neymar Fee!
- Mourinho thrives with a Prag-Matic approach!
- The Loan Ranger: Game of Loans!
- Rome(-lu) Wasn’t Built In A Day, But Hernandez Is Heading Hammers Way!
- Man United, Arsenal, and Huddersfield are all in a dash to splash the cash!
2015/2016 Premier League Battle of the Brands
The Premier League has come a long way since 2005 (well, maybe everything except Arsenal). Since the rebranding of the league in 1992, the finances involved have exponentially grown. £750 million could purchase Manchester United ten years ago, but last year, Adidas spent £790 million simply to supply United’s kit for the next ten years. Year after year, deal after deal, financial records in the league are being smashed; transfers, takeovers, and Adidas’ new deal with United is no different.
Adidas have trumped the £23.5m-a-year that Nike had been paying United, and more than doubled the biggest previous club deal — Adidas’ own kit sponsorship with Real Madrid. It’s rather ironic that Adidas based United’s kit on a retro style, given the barriers they’ve broken with the new deal.
Indeed, the kit supplier has signaled its intent to dominate the Premier League’s brand battle. Adidas currently supply six Premier League club’s kits in the coming season, including reigning champions Chelsea as well as West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland, Swansea City and Southampton.
Adidas’ main rival in the kit battle is Puma, who have risen in stature to supply Watford, Newcastle United, Leicester City, Everton and Arsenal. Nike is the main loser this season, only producing Manchester City’s kit after Queens Park Rangers were relegated. In the past two seasons alone, they’ve let go of deals will Everton, Arsenal and now Manchester United.
Nike, perhaps, are looking for quality over quantity. The bookies have Manchester City 11/4 to win the league, while Nike also maintain a profile of select clubs across Europe. Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, AS Monaco, AS Roma, Atletico Madrid and Internazionale are only the tip of the cream. Moreover, Nike and Adidas dominate the international market, the former supplying the United States, France, the Netherlands and Portugal, and Adidas making both the 2014 World Cup finalists’ kits. Nike also produce the Premier League’s official ball.
Meanwhile, Nike have attacked the football boot market. In the battle of the boots last season, Nike’s Mercurial outpaced the Adidas Adizero by 207 to 191 goals. Nike, Adidas and Puma dominate the market while New Balance has also jumped into the frenzy.
The American brand, taking over for it’s subsidiary, Warrior, will supply Liverpool and Stoke City’s kits this coming season, also signing shoe deals with Adnan Januzaj, Vincent Kompany, Marouane Fellaini, Samir Nasri and Aaron Ramsey.
Macron makes the kits of Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, Under Armor retain Tottenham Hotspur in their profile, Bournemouth have signed a new deal with JD and Umbro cling onto a deal with West Ham United. The more money that’s thrown into the game, it’s all in or all out. Puma and New Balance have signaled their intent to invest more in football, while Adidas dominates the Premier League’s battle of the brands by quantity; Nike by quality.