Manchester City Football Club announced a groundbreaking £1 billion kit deal with Puma on July 15, 2025, setting a new benchmark in sports sponsorship.
The 10-year agreement, revealed after months of negotiations, dwarfs the club’s previous £65 million annual deal with Nike, which expired in 2024. The deal includes royalties, performance bonuses, and merchandising rights, with Puma committing to innovative designs leveraging City’s recent treble-winning success in 2022-2023 under Pep Guardiola. The contract, effective from the 2025-2026 season, is projected to generate £100 million annually, bolstered by the club’s 2024 global fanbase of 400 million.
The announcement, made during a press conference at the Etihad Stadium, has drawn praise from CEO Ferran Soriano, who credited the club’s on-pitch dominance and commercial growth, including a 20% revenue increase to £731 million in 2024.
Critics, however, question the deal’s sustainability amid Financial Fair Play scrutiny, with rival fans on social media labeling it a “financial doping” move, though no official investigations have been confirmed. Puma’s stock rose 3% post-announcement, reflecting confidence in tapping City’s market, while the deal positions the club to rival Real Madrid’s £1.1 billion Nike pact, reshaping football’s commercial landscape.