AC Milan has an expanding global fanbase and has developed a strong brand identity, helping it to position itself as a thriving football club worth putting money behind. Notably, one area of growth has been sponsorship deals, with many coming from the digital entertainment sector. AC Milan has partnered with companies in the gaming space, including ones that offer slots. This is reflective of broader trends in Serie A and is a good example of how lucrative partnership details are shaping the modern football experience.

In recent years, football club AC Milan have taken significant steps to strengthen their financial position. Following challenging financial circumstances in the late 2010s, the club has experienced a resurgence and has received backing from strong investments and successful commercial deals.

In this blog post, we take a deep dive into AC Milan’s sponsorship success and look at how the Serie A league can learn from them to grow their brand presence and compete with other globally recognised football leagues like England’s Premier League.

Serie A’s Sponsorship and Media Growth

Much like Italian football club AC Milan, Serie A has also undergone a significant financial transformation. The league was once overshadowed by similar English and Spanish leagues, but is now experiencing rivalling levels of commercial interest.

A 2024 report revealed how Serie A clubs are generating hundreds of millions of euros in sponsorship revenue collectively. One area of growth in particular has been increased international broadcasting deals, including ones with the United States and Asia.

Branding for clubs has become a highly priority too, particularly for top of the league clubs like AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus. The league has now secured a diverse range of sponsors, including those across the tech, gaming, finance and finance sectors to name just a few.

As Serie A’s digital platforms have helped to grow exposure, the league has been able to secure partnership deals with major streaming services and international broadcasters. This in term has helped to drive viewership numbers up and helped clubs like AC Milan reach global fame.

Financial backing is important for all clubs in the league, it enables them to invest in bringing in the right players and coaching staff. It also helps them to fund training for their up and coming players and ensure the long term success of the club. Sponsorship deals are a major part of every clubs financial strategy and it is important to get the right sponsors on board and secure contracts that will benefit them for the long term.

AC Milan’s Sponsors - helping the club to grow their global brand presence

AC Milan boasts one of the most impressive sponsor portfolios in Serie A. As of the 2023/24 season, the club is backed by major global brands across various industries:

AC Milan have had some of the most notable sponsor and biggest sponsorship deals in the Serie A league, including global brands from across various different industries. For example Emirates has been one of their main sponsors on their shirts.

The global sports brand Puma has become their technical kit supplier, not only providing financial support but also helping the team’s success with their technical design innovation

The tech industry has also provided AC Milan with financial backing in recent years. For example, BitMEX, a popular cryptocurrency platform has joined the list of partners for the club.

These sponsors benefit from growing their brand reach through the placement of logos on shirts and banners on websites. They are also able to become an active participant in the club’s strategy. Their involvement ranges from branded fan experiences to co-marketing campaigns, helping to expand both the sponsors reach and Milan’s reach and drive revenue growth for both parties.

Also, Milan’s sponsorship deals are planned out strategically with most of them being long-term agreements, this helps to ensure financial stability for the club while also allowing for performance based incentives.

Milan’s sponsorship strategy is digital-first

Milan’s sponsorship strategy focused on growing the club's brand awareness through digital content and international partnerships. This has helped to position the club as an attractive partner for businesses that are looking to achieve global reach.

Fans are now spending more time invested in digital forms of entertainment via their smartphones, as so it makes sense to focus content creation and engagement efforts on digital platforms. Adapting to the evolving technological landscape is key for reaching their audience and growing their brand presence successfully.

The Serie A league is now in the process of trying to improve its media rights packages and expand sponsorship categories. As the success of AC Milan’s sponsorship strategy is showing, a balanced approach and digital first mindset will put the league in a strong position for evolving into a more globally recognised brand.