Premier League club West Ham United has expanded its deal with trading specialists Scope Markets to incorporate sleeve sponsorship rights.
SportBusiness understands the value of the multi-year deal is between £1m (€1.1m/$1.2m) and £1.5m per year.
The club had been looking to sign a new sleeve sponsor since the financial collapse of Basset & Gold, who previously held the rights.
The brand will be visible on West Ham’s shirt when the team face Wolverhampton Wanderers tomorrow (Saturday), the club’s first game since the return of the Premier League after its suspension due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
SportBusiness understands the negotiation process was relatively straightforward, with Scope Markets keen to develop its association with the East London club once it became aware of the opportunity.
The brand has been the club’s ‘Official Trading Partner’ since the beginning of the 2018-19 season and its deal was extended at the start of the 2019-20 campaign.
Since partnering with the Hammers, Scope Markets has put on a number of fan experiences, including hosting a group of supporters with accessibility needs at London Stadium for a VIP day.
There are understood to have been a number of other brands that held discussions to take the role of sleeve sponsor, but Scope Markets’ existing relationship with the club was the decisive factor in securing the deal. There was no agency involved in brokering the agreement.
Karim Virani, chief commercial officer at West Ham United, said: “Scope Markets are a global forward-thinking organisation and with their core values of service and innovation mirroring our own, to be able to now call Scope Markets our sleeve partner is a very proud moment for all of us at West Ham United.”
The demise of Basset & Gold left the East London club searching for a new brand to fill one of its most lucrative sponsorship categories. The association between the two organisations began at the start of the 2018-19 season and was due to expire at the end of the 2019-20 campaign.
