Infinite Athlete have been granted Premier League approval to become Chelsea’s new front of shirt sponsor for the 2023/24 season.
- Deals thwarted in summer
- First six games featured blank shirt
- Infinite Athlete deal approved
WHAT HAPPENED? The Telegraph report that the £40m ($48.6m) agreement with the sports data start-up was finally ratified on Wednesday with the league finally satisfied that fair market value rules have been met and investment links between the company and Chelsea owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali were not an obstacle.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The approval marks the end of a saga for the west London club. An agreement with Paramount+ fell prey to Premier League broadcasting regulations, before negotiations with an online casino was abandoned after a fan backlash. The deal with Infinite Athlete appeared to be at such an advanced stage six weeks ago that it inadvertently appeared in a Sky Sports promotional video, but it has taken until seven games into the Premier League season for the contract to finally gain approval.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
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WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA? The sponsor-less shirts will get one last run out tomorrow evening when the Blues take on their nemesis Brighton in the Carabao Cup at Stamford Bridge.
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