Manchester United has yet to play a Premier League game with the Snapdragon logo on the front of its shirt, but the soccer club and Qualcomm brand have extended their original three-year deal for another two years to run through 2029.
In September, United signed a new sponsorship agreement with Qualcomm to put the company’s Snapdragon logo on the club’s iconic jerseys, replacing TeamViewer, starting with the 2024-25 season. The deal covered the home, away and third shirts of the Premier League’s most valuable team, as well as its women’s club and training kits for both teams.
Last month, Man United revealed its new home jersey for the upcoming season, which generated over 2 billion digital media impressions—more than any other partner launch in the team’s history.
Terms of the original contract were not released, but it is worth a tick above the current record of $75 million a year Emirates pays Real Madrid, according to someone familiar with the agreement who was not authorized to speak publicly. The deal includes back-of-shirt rights as well.
Qualcomm became a Man United global partner in July 2022, and Snapdragon was the presenting sponsor of the club’s 2023 U.S. summer tour. Snapdragon processors power smartphones, PCs, gaming devices and wearables.
The original jersey deal had an option to extend for two years, and the option was triggered a year ahead of schedule based on the strength of the early results of the partnership. In July, Snapdragon Insiders, which is a global community of Snapdragon fans, grew 256% faster than the usual month and now counts more than 16 million participants. The extension was hammered out during the team’s U.S. preseason tour, which included a game at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego where Qualcomm is headquartered.
Fans can scan the logo on the front of the jerseys, which will provide an augmented reality (AR) experience that takes them to the field of Old Trafford. Snapdragon will develop more content during the season.
“We look forward to helping the club achieve its goals on the pitch and off the pitch as the club reimagines Old Trafford and Carrington,” Don McGuire, Qualcomm CMO, said in a statement. “We’re excited to bring our technology partners onto the back of shirt and into the club community in unprecedented ways.”
Manchester United ranked first in Sportico’s annual list of the most valuable soccer teams at $6.2 billion. The 20-time English champions kick off the Premier League season on Friday with a match against Fulham at Old Trafford.
