From Local Fan to Global Sponsor: Ed Sheeran and Ipswich Town’s Unique Partnership

In modern-day football, shirt sponsorship deals are usually dominated by global brands with deep pockets such as airlines, banks or betting companies. In the case of Ipswich Town however, they took a different route, partnering with one of the world’s biggest music stars Ed Sheeran, and the logo of Sheeran’s mathematics tour has since been the front-of-shirt sponsor for the club since their partnership began, back in 2021, creating one of the most unique sponsorship deals in English football. This sponsorship deal came to an end after the 24/25 season, but Sheeran will continue to be involved. It was recently announced that Sheeran’s hot sauce brand Tingly Ted’s will become the sleeve sponsor of Ipswich Town for the 25/26 season and this recent investment, albeit a small ownership stake in the club, does show his long term link and financial commitment to the club.

Why Ed Sheeran

For Ipswich, this partnership was about more than money. Ed Sheeran grew up in Suffolk and is a lifelong supporter of the club and embodies the sense of identity that many clubs seek through sponsorships. Instead of having a partnership with a corporate brand who have zero connection to the club, Ipswich opted for a supporter of the team who already represented the values of the club and its local community.

As well as this, Ed Sheeran is a huge name and therefore this partnership deal with Ipswich went viral, largely due to the global reach he has. This seems like a masterstroke from a marketing perspective for Ipswich. Headlines about the story appeared everywhere from BBC Sport to The New York Times, and shined the spotlight on Ipswich, making it a marketing coup that many other Championship clubs would love to achieve. The involvement of Sheeran meant that Ipswich shirts would now be recognisable to not only millions of football fans but also to millions of music fans and followers worldwide highlighting the financial benefits that this could have on the club.

Strategic Marketing & Branding

From a marketing standpoint, this sponsorship deal was unconventional but strategically clever. Instead of your classic, generic sponsors, Ipswich fans and players wore something that connected them to a global figure, but also one of their own, and the Ipswich kits became talking points across social media. This partnership gave Ipswich their own unique story and, in a world, where commercial deals from clubs are very often criticised by supporters, Ipswich where praised, and it stood out from the rest for being different and unique showing the strategic marketing move by Ipswich to strike this commercial deal.

Financial implications

As mentioned, it was quite clear that, from a branding point of view, this partnership deal was a success and raised the club’s profile. However, exactly how beneficial was the partnership from a financial standpoint?

On average, high end Premier League clubs such as Manchester United and Liverpool earn around £50-60 million per year from shirt sponsorships. In comparison, most championship clubs earn around £2-6 million per year. The exact figures of Ipswich’s sponsorship deals have never been disclosed but it is unlikely to have matched the upper end of them ranges, and in revenue terms Ipswich most likely would have earned more from a traditional corporate sponsor.

However, although this is most likely true in terms of direct revenue for the club, the indirect benefits where highly significant and due to the club’s partnership with Sheeran, shirt sales skyrocketed, the clubs profile grew and the story of ‘local boy sponsors hometown club’ gave the club the publicity that a generic sponsor cannot buy.

How Did Ipswich supporters react to the partnership?

Well in truth, the reaction was positive and the majority of Ipswich supporters where very pleased with the deal. They know that Ed Sheeran is ‘one of them’ and they see this as more than just a sponsor. Sheeran was not only just buying visibility but he was also investing in the club he grew up supporting. Sheeran’s role at Ipswich is one rooted in authenticity rather than marketing and commercial opportunities which is why it has resonated with the fans so quickly.

In August 2024, Sheeran’s commitment to Ipswich deepened when he acquired a 1.4% minority stake in the club. Whilst it is only a small stake it shows Ipswich supporters that he clearly has a connection with the club and is fully invested in it, giving the club more than just an ordinary sponsor.

Conclusion

To conclude, Ed Sheeran’s sponsorship deal with Ipswich Town was certainly one of the more unique sponsorship deals in English football. It might not have been the most lucrative in financial terms, but it certainly got people talking and made the Ipswich shirts recognisable. Sheeran’s partnership shows that sponsorships are not just about money and that there can be more to it than that. For example, storytelling, club identity, and global reach. As last season marked the end of the front of shirt deal with Sheeran, Ipswich now have a new front of shirt sponsor for the 25/26 season. However, it was essential to Ipswich that Sheeran’s involvement continued to ensure that authenticity remains part of the club’s identity, such as the new sleeve sponsor with Sheeran’s brand. The club has been successful in balancing commercial growth with authenticity, which keeps the Ipswich supporters on side.

For football marketers, a broader lesson is learnt from this sponsorship deal. The value of a sponsorship is not always measured by revenue. Football sponsorships are always evolving to balance between authenticity and tradition whilst prioritising financial income.

Ipswich Town and Ed Sheeran have shown that when these two things come together, a sponsorship deal can leave a lasting mark and be highly beneficial to a football club.

The question is: will other clubs copy this approach?