Chelsea's blank jerseys are history! AI giant IFS steps in for a temporary, minimalist sponsorship, ending a lengthy search for a main shirt partner.
Chelsea is no longer the only Premier League team without a shirt sponsor, after reaching an agreement with artificial intelligence company IFS for it to be the main image on their shirts until the end of the season.
This new sponsor will appear immediately in Chelsea's matches this weekend, the men's team against Burnley and the women's team against Manchester United.
This ends more than two and a half years of waiting since telecommunications company Three ended its contract with Chelsea.
The global sponsorship contract with the technology company runs through 2028, but IFS will only appear on the front of the shirts until the end of this campaign. This is due to Chelsea's high financial demands, as they try to secure a deal worth around £65 million annually.
Therefore, from the summer and unless another type of agreement is reached with IFS, Chelsea will have to again find a company willing to pay what they are asking and that will appear on the shirts.
As a curious fact, the absence of a main shirt sponsor at Chelsea over the past two seasons has generated an unexpected aesthetic success despite the loss of revenue.
The club has missed out on about £60 million annually, but the lack of advertising has skyrocketed demand among fans. Many supporters prefer the clean style of the garment, arguing that the design evokes the aesthetic of the uniforms used by the team in the 1960s.
The board, led by Todd Boehly, has chosen to keep the shirt chest empty after rejecting offers that did not meet their market valuation. This strategy has turned Chelsea into a visual exception in the Premier League, reminiscent of the historic model of FC Barcelona, although for financial reasons and not tradition.
To cover specific commitments, the team has used temporary sponsors in cup tournaments, returning to the minimalist uniform for the start of the current league campaign.
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