London City Lionesses have announced a landmark multi-year front-of-shirt partnership with Nike, a deal that owner Michele Kang says is the largest in the women's game and even exceeds some men's Premier League clubs' shirt deals. The Women's Super League (WSL) club, who host Manchester United on Friday in their opening game of the new campaign, have not disclosed the length or value of the agreement, but sources close to the club are calling it a gamechanging moment.
Deal surpasses existing records
Kang, the American owner who took control of the club in December 2023, told BBC Sport: "I can absolutely confirm that this is the largest women-only front-of-shirt deal. It is higher than the Atlanta number." She was referring to the approximately $4m per year agreement signed by the new National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) franchise in Atlanta, who will begin competing in 2028.
"I can absolutely also share that it is higher than some of the men's Premier League front-of-shirt deals. It's huge. That's why it is landmark," Kang added. "There are so many other people who believe in the future of women's football. They [Nike] didn't make this decision lightly. They did not write a charity cheque. They believe in the future and they believe together we will invest and build this future together."
Financial impact on the club
The deal will provide a major boost to London City's finances. In their most recent financial accounts, they posted an annual revenue of just £902,000 for the 2024-25 season, when they won promotion to the top flight. Their operating loss was over £10m, more than 10 times that revenue.
The club's transfer business has attracted questions about how they can fit their lavish spending within the salary cap, as WSL rules dictate that clubs cannot spend more on player wage bills than 80% of their relevant revenue plus up to £4m of owner contributions. It is understood this Nike deal will transform their annual revenue astronomically compared to previous seasons.
Star signings drive value
This summer, London City have shocked the sport by signing some of the biggest names in women's football, including former Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, former England goalkeeper Mary Earps, and Putellas' Spain and Barcelona teammate Mapi León. The popularity on social media of Putellas – who has 3.4 million Instagram followers – and Earps and León is believed to have been a major driving factor in the supposedly high valuation from Nike.
Putellas has helped Spain win the 2023 World Cup and won the Champions League four times with Barcelona. The Spaniard shared the news of the sponsorship on her Instagram account on Thursday. The club are about to embark on only their second top-flight season, and this partnership marks a significant step in their financial and competitive trajectory.
