Atlético Madrid Scores Shirt Deal Worth $42M Annually

Atlético Madrid has confirmed a multiyear shirt sponsorship deal with cryptocurrency exchange platform WhaleFin worth $42.3 million annually, per 2Playbook. 

WhaleFin will take over from trading platform Plus500 at the start of the 2022-23 season following the expiration of the Israel-based company’s contract this offseason. 

• Plus500 reportedly paid $17 million per year.
• WhaleFin parent company The Amber Group will be a digital wealth partner.
• Its deal includes branding at Estadio Metropolitano, Atletico’s home field since 2017. 

Atlético — the 13th-most valuable soccer team in the world at $1.5 billion — has had success on the pitch, finishing third in La Liga this past season and being crowned champions in 2021. 

The club has generated $396 million in revenue in 2022, up from $368 million in 2021. However, Atlético has an operating income of only $45 million, compared to $62 million last year.

Joining the Party 

Atlético joins other top-flight soccer clubs in securing new shirt deals. 

In June, Paris Saint-Germain secured a deal with Qatar Airways worth as much as $72 million per year. The same month, AC Milan extended its deal with Puma, which will reportedly pay Milan $31.5 million per year under a five-year contract.  

Earlier this month, Manchester United entered a shirt-sleeve deal with IT firm DXC Technology, while its Premier League rival Liverpool is in talks for a shirt deal that could fetch a record $100 million per year.

Standard Chartered originally paid Liverpool $25 million annually.