Crypto collapse? Football remains king of sponsorship in 2025!

Crypto collapse? Football remains king of sponsorship in 2025!

The interconnection between football and the crypto sector is increasing. In the 2024/25 season, investments amounted to over$243 millionrecorded in football. This means that football remains the most attractive sport for sponsorship partnerships in the crypto and digital asset sector. Loud Sports business were eliminated43 percentof all crypto sponsorship deals on football, an increase of64 percentcompared to the previous season.

A look at the high-profile partnerships shows the diversity of the deals. These include Kraken's sleeve deal with Tottenham Hotspur and Bitpanda's agreement with Paris Saint-Germain. Crypto.com’s title partnership with the UEFA Champions League is also notable. What is particularly striking is that35 percentof all crypto deals in football included jersey sponsorship, more than twice as many as in the previous year.

Growth and Demographics

Crypto investments in football are primarily focused on the five major European leagues: England, Germany, Spain, Italy and France. Almost half of all crypto investments come from clubs in these leagues. According to Kraken's head of marketing, Mayur Gupta, over75 percentThe core target group in Europe is football fans. This demographic – young, tech-savvy and open to new ideas – is an ideal fit for the target groups of cryptocurrency companies Footyroom reported.

However, recent years have not been without challenges. After the “crypto winter” of 2022 and 2023, crypto companies are now starting to move back. Even some originally planned deals, such as those with Inter Milan or AS Roma, could not be fulfilled at the time. Inter Milan recently signed new partnerships with Gate.io and BlockDAG, indicating a recovery.

Controversies and risks

Despite the positive trend, there are also risks and controversies. The volatile nature of cryptocurrencies can cause both financial and reputational damage. There is also concern about regulatory uncertainty in many jurisdictions. Critics warn about the promotion of speculative financial products to football fans and the risk of fraud from unregulated crypto projects.

However, football clubs benefit from these sponsorship deals, which are of great financial importance in the post-pandemic era. This revenue helps sign new players, improve infrastructure and reach younger audiences. An increasing trend towards crypto sponsorships in football is expected in the future, especially as established and credible players enter this space. However, football clubs also need to navigate the risks around regulatory compliance and financial stability.

Overall, crypto sponsorships reflect the size of both industries and are expected to continue to grow in popular culture, including sports.