The Growing Value of Aston Villa’s Front of Shirt
From a previous Fan Advisory Board meeting when MOMS asked the then Business President Chris Heck where he saw Villa’s position in the sponsorship market place considering the supposed Big Six’s position. He stated the focus was very much on establishing Villa as above the rest and sitting clear in their own category in that 7th spot, while they try and make inroads on the Big Six.
Fair Market Value
Fair market value (FMV) is the income a team can realistically expect from sponsorship on the open market in a fair transaction. Based on commercial market evidence, the Sponsor’s FMV Index offers brands rights holders and agencies an independent assessment of sponsorship value.
With their second Champions League appearance in three seasons and winning the Europa League in their fallow season out of it, Villa’s Fair Market Value (FMV) of their front of shirt sponsorship has risen to £26.2m from £23.2m. Of course, at the time of writing, they haven’t announced any sponsorship for the 2026/27 season ahead, but supporters can get an insight into the ballpark of price expectation.
If Villa’s FMV last season was £23.2m, then the recently expired Betano deal reported to be around £20M was slightly undervalued, so it’s not guaranteed they’ll hit the fair value, but they have a strong narrative of progress to be in a strong position in negotiations, and are very unlikely to be lowballed.
Premier League Fair Market Sponsorship Values 2026
| Pos | Club | FMV 2025 | FMV 2026 | Current Deal | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool FC | £65.9m | £61m | £50m | £11m (undervalued) |
| 2 | Manchester City FC | £63.8m | £60.1m | £67.5m | £7.4m (overvalued) |
| 3 | Manchester United FC | £51.1m | £60m | £60m | £0m (at value) |
| 4 | Arsenal FC | £49.6m | £59.2m | £50m | £9.2m (undervalued) |
| 5 | Chelsea FC | £50.3m | £33.6m | – | – |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur FC | £49.1m | £29.8m | £40m | £10.2m (overvalued) |
| 7 | Aston Villa FC | £23.2m | £26.2m | – | – |
| 8 | Newcastle United FC | £23.6m | £16.9m | £25m | £11m (overvalued)* |
| 9 | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | £10.2m | £15m | – | – |
| 10 | Everton FC | £13.9m | £14.8m | – | – |
| 11 | Crystal Palace FC | £12.1m | £12.3m | – | – |
| 12 | Sunderland AFC | £6.8m | £10.2m | – | – |
| 13 | Brentford FC | £8.9m | £8.3m | *** Confidential *** | – |
| 14 | Nottingham Forest FC | £10.5m | £8.2m | – | – |
| 15 | Fulham FC | £10.6m | £8m | – | – |
| 16 | AFC Bournemouth | £3.1m | £6.4m | – | – |
| 17 | Leeds United FC | £4.7m | £5.8m | – | – |
| 18 | Ipswich Town FC | – | £4.5m | – | – |
| 19 | Coventry City FC | – | £4.5m | *** Confidential *** | – |
| 20 | Hull City FC | – | £3m | – | – |
Source: FMV Index, The Sponsor (2026)
* – should read £8.1m (overvalued)?
The Battle for 7th and Beyond
In terms of their positioning in relation to other clubs, based on FMV, they have surpassed Newcastle United and moved ahead by a sizeable £9.3m in their FMV for 2026, with Newcastle’s dropping from £23.6m to £16.9m, although their current deal is £25m.
If they qualify for the Champions League next season and Newcastle don’t, then that gap will solidify, and that status that Heck referenced will be clearly realised. Better news is that a viable pathway to breaking into the Big Six is forming.
Spurs, despite lifting the Europa League in the 2024/25 season, have had two torrid seasons in the Premier League, where relegation has been at the forefront of their minds as opposed to the European qualification positions in the league. It’s had a dramatic impact on their FMV with it dropping from a solid £49.1m to £29.8m, which while still above Villa, is now in touching distance, only £3.6m away.
From this you can see the potential of what could have happened if Spurs had been relegated. Ironically, Villa had a gilt-edged chance at Villa Park to deal the death knell themselves. It’s unlikely Spurs will put themselves in such a position again anytime soon, but if Villa, as with the Newcastle example, finish in the Champions League places next season and Spurs don’t, then Villa will officially be knocking on the door of the Big Six.
Gambling Sponsorship Ban Caveat
The above FMV Index shows that values have been resilient to the Premier League’s gambling sponsorship ban. From MOMS insights from meetings with Villa’s board members at the time of the BK8 deal when such sponsorships were discussed, outside of the top six territory of front of shirt deals, there was a significant drop off with what non-gambling companies offered. Hence, why the club couldn’t leave money on the table with recent deals with BK8 and Betano.
This is part of the reason Villa have been trying to position themselves on a different level to the rest of the Premier League club’s outside the Big Six. Hopefully, this comes to fruition this summer, as the suggestion here is there are sponsors about willing to take deals on par with gambling brands.
UTV
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Villa commercial should approach SEAT… a top “Spanish” Car Brand!