Chelsea Football Club has secured a one-year front-of-shirt sponsorship agreement with Circle Internet Group, a prominent crypto firm. The New York-listed company, recognised for its stablecoin USDC, will see its branding appear on the shirts of Chelsea’s men’s, women’s, and academy teams for the current season.
This deal means the west London Premier League club has begun the season without a long-term front-of-shirt sponsor for the fourth consecutive year, following a series of short-term partnerships. Previous agreements included tech platform Infinite Athlete, Damac Properties, and AI software firm IFS since their deal with Three expired in 2023.
Todd Kline, Chelsea's president of commercial, stated that the partnership reflects an alignment in values and a shared ambition to lead globally. Circle CEO and co-founder Jeremy Allaire added that the collaboration connects them with a global sports community built on a borderless vision.
The agreement represents the most high-profile deal to date between a company operating in the crypto space and a Premier League club. Other notable crypto sponsorships include OKX, which has been Manchester City’s sleeve sponsor since 2023.