Newcastle United end deal with kit sponsor, FUN88, after six years
By Cade Cracas
After six years, the world-renowned jersey deal with FUN88 has come to a close with Newcastle United as they look to find a new fit for the 2023-24 season.
The Magpies most recently clinched a spot in the Champions League next year and also finished the past season as one of the top teams in the Premier League.
FUN88 has been the primary kit sponsor for Newcastle United for the last six seasons, and that deal has now come to a close.
This movement and cancellation of the FUN88 sponsorship come after the team has explored new opportunities from their stellar 2022-23 season. Recent reports have suggested that the club negotiated this early exit to pursue higher-level commercial opportunities.
In replacement of FUN88, the club looks to continue their Saudia Arabian connections as they are rumored to be looking to strike a deal with Sela, who is also part-owned by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.
The deal with Sela is also rumored to be over £25 million per season for the Magpies, which can drastically heighten some of the financial possibilities within the club.
The company was founded as an event-based company in 1995 before transitioning into a new wave of event production that has the goal of, “bringing life hundreds of experiences across recreational industries, from sports and culture, entertainment and hospitality, to exhibitions and more”, so the deal with Newcastle United seemingly is a no brainer.
Both sides will be able to drastically increase exposure to new audiences and demographics as they look to expand their reach to other areas of the world.
The partnership between the two also opens up the ability for Newcastle United to grow a bigger audience in Saudia Arabia.
Do you like the “new-wave” Newcastle United organization, or do you want the team to stick to the older ways? Having Saudi Arabian investors has caused some to be controversy to formulate, but will it stick around?
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Fortunately, Sela has already dipped its toes into the soccer space as they’ve helped stage the Italian Supercoppa and the Spanish Supercopa, showing that the company does have a genuine love for the game.