Beleaguered Dutch soccer giants Ajax and VodafoneZiggo, the telecoms firm and pay-TV operator, have extended their long-running shirt sponsorship deal until 2027.

The new contract also includes an option to further renew until 2029.

The two parties opted for an early renewal as the existing agreement was not due to expire until the end of the 2024-25 season.

The telecoms company has been Ajax's shirt and main sponsor since 2015 and has, through this deal, signed on for at least two more seasons.

Through the new deal, the Eredivisie club and VodafoneZiggo will continue to offer exclusive content online and on Ziggo Sport, the telecoms operator’s Dutch pay-television network.

Live experiences and promotions through Priority, the Vodafone and Ziggo customer program, will also remain part of the partnership.

The Amsterdam-based side and VodafoneZiggo will also collaborate on social and community initiatives.

Menno Geelen, interim chief executive of Ajax, said: “We are grateful to VodafoneZiggo for their trust in the future of Ajax. We have been partners for almost 10 years, and thanks to this unconditional support, we can work towards a better future for our club, the results we want to achieve, and the impact we want to make both on and off the field.”

Ajax has secured several commercial deals recently, including renewed deals with kit supplier Adidas, tourism company TUI, and major soft drinks brand Coca-Cola.

The team also recently brought employment agency Olympia on board as an official partner and shirt sponsor of its youth team, and named menswear brand Atelier Munro as its official formal wear supplier.

Ajax, regular winners of the Dutch top-tier Eredivisie title, only finished 5th last season, thus failing to qualify for the lucrative pan-European UEFA Champions League.