CMC Markets is in advanced talks over front-of-shirt sponsorship deals with Everton and Fulham that could be worth about £50 million across three years, according to reports first carried by Sky News and repeated by sports business outlets this week. Neither deal has been announced, but the talks come at a key moment for Premier League sponsorship sales.
Both clubs are working toward the same deadline. Premier League clubs agreed in April 2023 to remove gambling brands from the front of matchday shirts from the start of the 2026-27 season, which means teams that relied on betting money have had to look elsewhere.
The shirt-front ban is finally changing the market
For years, clubs could count on betting operators to pay a premium for shirt-front inventory. That option is now disappearing, at least in the most visible place on the shirt. Sleeves and other assets remain open, but the front-of-shirt slot is the one that carries the biggest TV value.
That helps explain why a financial trading brand has shown up here. CMC is not a consumer giant in the usual football-sponsor mold, but it already sells speculative products to retail clients and knows the sports audience. If these talks turn into signed deals, it would be one of the clearest early examples of a financial firm moving into space that gambling brands are being forced to leave.
Everton looks closest, but Fulham is in the same conversation
The Everton side of the story looks the furthest along. Reporting on the talks has described CMC as being on the verge of replacing the club’s current front-of-shirt arrangement, while also keeping Fulham in play for a similar agreement. Other suitors are also said to be interested, so neither shirt is locked down yet.
Still, the direction is clear enough. As the ban gets closer, clubs are not just replacing one gambling logo with another type of gaming deal. They are testing a different class of sponsor altogether, and finance brands may be first in line.
