The Juventus kits remain without a sponsor on the front of the shirt, and now the Serie A club is feeling the effects.
The Turin-based squad has been without a shirt sponsor since its partnership with Jeep ended after last season. Juventus hopes that holding out will lead to better offers from potential partners, to which it believes it is entitled.
The effects of the club’s decision are already being felt. Jeep had been paying Juventus $45 million per season, one of the most valuable deals in Serie A. That is a lot of revenue to lose for any club, and it has allowed clubs like AC Milan and Inter Milan to surpass Juventus. While it still has a back shirt sponsorship with Cygames, that is only worth $4 million per season.
There were reports that the club was close to signing a $25 million deal with an unnamed sponsor before the season started. The deal was supposed to last two seasons, but confidentiality agreements have made details scarce. Unfortunately, the deal never came to fruition, leading Juventus to begin the season without a sponsor.
The lack of a Juventus deal is costing Serie A as well. The top Italian league had €230 million in shirt sponsorship deals last season, but that has dropped to €180 million.
The club recently added the Save the Children organization logo to the front of its shirt. It has worked with the charitable organization for some time and decided to add the logo at no cost.
Did Juventus Make a Mistake?
Time will tell how this negotiating tactic will work for Juventus, but the continued lack of sponsorship has caused some doubts about the decision. The club’s move to hold out came after it lost around €95 million when forced to miss out on European competitions last season due to a ban. The ban’s effect on the squad’s finances is why the club isn’t getting the offers it feels it deserves.
The deal with Jeep and Cygames was far more valuable than the deals of its biggest rivals, but that advantage is now gone. While a massive new agreement would change that, it hasn’t happened and no longer seems likely. The club has said that talks with other suitors have been going well, but the lack of an agreement suggests sponsors may be hesitating over the desired price tag.
We likely won’t know if this decision was a misstep until the club finally signs a deal. If it fails to find a more valuable deal, the public loss could affect the price tag in the future. However, if it can succeed, it will give the club’s overall value a massive boost.
Strong Season Could Help Sponsorship Negotiations
The club failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League last season after being banned for an accounting scandal came to light. However, it is back this season after finishing third in Serie A in 2023-24. That means the club’s shirts will be on the international stage, an appealing benefit for a potential sponsor.
Making the UEFA Champions League is always an achievement, but bookmakers don’t believe the Italian club will be competing for the title. The team’s odds are outside of the top ten at most major sportsbooks. However, that makes the team a tempting wager for bettors, especially those looking to use their free bets to go for big payouts.
Sportsbooks do have big expectations for Juventus in Serie A this season. The club is a top three favorite, though Inter remains the favorite among bookmakers. The consensus is that the Nerazzurri have the most complete team in Serie A, but the club has had a slow start to the season.
Juventus will undoubtedly have a sponsor before its season ends, but a successful run in Serie A and the Champions League will restore some of the value lost from the ban and lack of sponsorship.
Retired Keeper Could Provide Minor Financial Boost
While Juventus has made it clear it needs to stop the revenue loss from the lack of a sponsor, it could soon be getting an unexpected influx of cash. That is because retired goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has reportedly signed a deal to join Barcelona this season.
When Szczesny retired from Juventus, the club agreed to a €4 million severance payout. However, the agreement included a clause allowing the team to save €2 million if the keeper returned this season. While that doesn’t come close to making up for the sponsorship revenue that has been lost, it does give Juventus a small boost that could allow it to hold out longer.