Leeds United confirmed this week that they have extended their kit deal with Adidas.
The German manufacturer linked up with the Whites following Leeds’ promotion to the Premier League in 2020, signing a five year deal, which was due to expire at the end of this season.
Following the release of some of Leeds’ most popular kits in recent years, including the record-breaking ‘smiley’ away shirt that shifted a record 15,000 shirts in their first 24 hours, this link-up will continue.
What was missing from the club’s statement confirming the news was details of the length of this extension and any of the financial details, but it is believed to be a significant deal, according to one football finance expert.
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Leeds United leverage Red Bull links to boost deal
According to GRV Media’s football finance specialist Adam Williams, Leeds’ controversial link-up with Red Bull will have played a major part in this latest agreement.
“We don’t know the value of the front-of-shirt deal with Red Bull but we do know it’s the most valuable in the Championship and probably in EFL history,” he told Leeds United News. “You can use that as a benchmark for the Adidas deal.
“We know from UEFA data that there aren’t many clubs in Europe that sell more shirts than Leeds. They were the 16th biggest merchandise sellers in 2022-23 and generated nearly £30m that year with the baseline fee from Adidas taken into account. There will have been competition for their rights this time around too.
“I understand and sympathise with Leeds fans in terms of the reservations with the Red Bull branding on the kits.
“But strictly from a commercial point of view, that will also have helped hike the price of the new Adidas deal too.
“I’d be willing to bet that any fall off in terms of sales among bedrock Leeds fans of the home shirt because of the red sponsor will have been offset by the popularity of the ‘smiley’ away kit. They did a sophisticated advertising campaign with that and generated record sales.
“I think with Red Bull involved and the additional exposure and marketing opportunities that gets you globally, the value will have gone up quite significantly.
“There will be a healthy step-up clause if Leeds win promotion too. And I’d also be pretty certain that would get Leeds into Adidas’s ‘elite’ tier, with the authentic jerseys and so on.”
Leeds will be hoping to earn another three points to boost their promotion cause when they host Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth Argyle on Saturday afternoon.
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