The UEFA Champions League (UCL), European men's soccer’s elite club competition, will have a cryptocurrency sponsor for the first time after governing body UEFA today announced a deal with Crypto.com.
The firm has come on board as the latest sponsor of the competition for the 2024-27 commercial cycle.
The three-year agreement also includes sponsorship rights for the UEFA Super Cup – where Crypto.com will first activate its official sponsorship at this year’s edition as UCL winners Real Madrid face Europa League holders Atalanta today in Warsaw, Poland – the UEFA Youth League, and the UEFA Futsal Champions League.
As an official global sponsor, the cryptocurrency platform will receive brand exposure across in-game perimeter LED boards, media interview backdrops, and broadcast sponsorship, as well as exclusive on-site activation opportunities at UEFA events.
UEFA and Crypto.com will also collaborate on fan engagement initiatives.
The two parties have secured a deal at the second time of asking after Crypto.com reportedly pulled out of a UCL sponsorship agreement with UEFA in 2022 worth almost €500 million ($547 million) over five seasons.
The agreement was said to have fallen through at the last moment, amid concerns about increased crypto regulation.
UEFA issued a tender to find sponsors in the cryptocurrency exchange sector for the 2024-27 UCL cycle in March this year, with a deadline of March 20 set for formal offers.
The continental body began its hunt for UCL 2024-27 sponsors in May 2022, alongside its club competitions partner agency, Team Marketing.
Last week, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), the technology heavyweight behind the PlayStation brand, renewed its deal as a UCL sponsor.
Other brands signed up as specific UCL sponsors for the next three campaigns include Heineken, Lay’s, FedEx, and Mastercard.
UEFA is also seeking a sponsor covering the mobile handset category and invited bids in May.
From the 2024-25 season, Europe’s premier club competition will take on a new single-league format, with the competition expanding from 32 to 36 teams, and incorporating 189 matches instead of the current 125.
The first group stage games from the revamped UCL take place on September 17.
Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA marketing director, said: “This collaboration marks an exciting new chapter for the UEFA Champions League as we embrace innovative technologies to enhance the experience for our fans and community.
“Together with Crypto.com, we look forward to exploring new opportunities as we begin a new, exciting chapter of the premier club football competition.”
The deal with UEFA marks the latest partnership with a major sports property for Crypto.com.
It notably holds naming rights to the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, home of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers, and also has tie-ups in place with the likes of motor racing's Formula 1 and mixed martial arts' UFC.
