Analysis
Jun 25, 2025
The Hidden Value of Lower League Kit Sponsorship
Kit sponsorship isn’t just about logo space on a football shirt. It’s about where your brand shows up, who sees it, and what they feel when they do.
In the Premier League, shirt sponsors chase reach and prestige. But for growing UK businesses—especially those selling services—there’s often more value lower down the football pyramid.
This article breaks down why lower league kit sponsorship can deliver stronger returns, more loyal audiences, and real local relevance.
What Does Kit Sponsorship Actually Buy You?
A basic kit sponsorship package usually includes:
Front-of-shirt branding (home and/or away kit)
Mentions in team photography and press
Visibility across club-owned content (matchday graphics, posters, line-ups)
Use of club badge or players in your own marketing
Credibility via brand association
Some clubs throw in LED boards, social callouts, or email mentions. But the core asset is always shirt visibility.
What matters isn’t just being on the shirt—it’s being in the right context, for the right audience.
What Premier League Sponsorship Costs (and Why It’s Out of Reach)
The average cost of a Premier League front-of-shirt sponsorship in 2023–24 was over £10 million per season. That figure climbs for top six clubs.
And while the reach is huge, most brands at that level are:
Multi-national (Emirates, Etihad, Standard Chartered)
Chasing scale not direct sales
Buying prestige, not necessarily performance
If you’re a service-based business looking for awareness, leads, or local loyalty, that’s not your playing field.
What Lower League Sponsorship Costs (and Why It’s Smarter)
Here's what kit sponsorship looks like further down:
League | Typical Cost (Front of Shirt, Season) | Avg. Attendance |
|---|---|---|
Championship | £150,000–£500,000 | 18,000–30,000 |
League One | £30,000–£120,000 | 5,000–10,000 |
League Two | £10,000–£50,000 | 2,000–6,000 |
National League | £5,000–£20,000 | 1,000–4,000 |
(Source: club proposals, partner data, sponsorship audits 2023)
You’re buying access to real, repeat attention—at a fraction of Premier League pricing.
What You Actually Get: Real-World Exposure
Lower league fans:
Turn up consistently – Loyalty isn’t driven by glory
Buy shirts – Especially when they’re tied to local identity
Follow clubs on social – Even small teams have reach into 6-figures
Engage with club content – Behind-the-scenes, team news, livestreams
When your logo is on that kit, you’re not just on the pitch—you’re in every matchday post, photo gallery, Instagram reel, and club email. And crucially, there’s less noise. Fewer competing sponsors, fewer distractions.
Case Study: Lower League Sponsor Activation
One property services business we worked with activated a kit sponsorship for a League Two club. Their goals:
Build visibility across two core regions
Position as a trusted local service
Drive traffic to a new offers page
We added:
QR code callouts in matchday graphics
Social ads targeting matchgoers
Paid search campaigns on matchdays
📈 Results:
38% uplift in direct traffic on home game days
23% increase in branded search during campaign window
6 leads converted with first-year value of £17k
Their full spend? Under £40k for the season.
Why Kit Sponsorship Works Better Below the Top Tier
1. It’s more visible
With fewer big brand partners and less clutter, your shirt logo actually stands out. And smaller clubs post more regularly about matches, kits, and sponsors. You get seen more often, for longer.
2. It’s more local
Most EFL and National League clubs pull fans from within 10–25 miles. If your business serves that area, you’re front of mind every Saturday.
3. It’s more credible
Fans see you as part of the club’s ecosystem, not just a logo. You’re backing the team, not buying attention. That matters when selling services that rely on trust (law, finance, trades, healthcare).
The Real ROI: Not Just Eyeballs
If you’re measuring kit sponsorship only by impressions, you’re missing the point.
Here's how to actually extract value:
Use shirt imagery in your ads – Create campaigns around "We're proud to sponsor…"
Integrate with email and CRM – Mention your sponsorship in nurture flows
Push local PR – Sponsoring a local club makes your brand more newsworthy
Run sponsor-led offers – E.g. "Season ticket holders get 10% off"
Drive to lead gen pages – Use dedicated landing pages in your supporting comms
Want help building the funnel around the sponsorship? We activate campaigns like this.
What to Ask a Club Before Signing
Not all kit sponsorship deals are created equal. Ask:
How many shirt sales do they average per season?
Can you use the kit/squad imagery in your own ads?
What additional media or social support is included?
How will they report performance back to you?
Are there rights to hospitality, tickets, or activations?
And most importantly: who actually sees the shirts—live, on socials, in the community.
Final Word: Kit Sponsorship Isn’t Dead. It’s Just Different.
The era of bloated shirt deals chasing vanity metrics is fading.
If you’re a growing business focused on trust, visibility, or local traction, lower league kit sponsorship offers:
High-frequency awareness
Local loyalty and alignment
Affordable long-term brand presence
You don’t need millions. You need the right audience, the right club, and a proper strategy behind it.
Interested in finding out more? Get in touch with a member of our team today or read more about Dropshot and read which services we regularly help other brands in the sports world.