Kit advertising is a lucrative business for the clubs in the German Soccer League: The 18 teams could collect up to 274.2 million euros from their main sponsors in the 2020/2021 season - as shown in the table of sponsorship payments from ISPO.com (see below).
At the top is the factory club VfL Wolfsburg, which is supported by Volkswagen with 70 million Euros per season. Record champion FC Bayern follows in second place with Telekom. Borussia Dortmund breaks new ground: for the first time, BVB has two different kit sponsors. While in the Bundesliga 1&1 advertises on the BVB jersey, Borussia plays matches in the DFB Cup and the Champions League with the logo of the previously sole BVB kit sponsor Evonik on its chest.
| Club | Sponsor 2020/21 | Sponsor 2019/20 | Income in € | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VfL Wolfsburg | Volkswagen | Volkswagen | 70 million | indefinite |
| FC Bavaria | Telekom | Telekom | 45 million | 2023 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 1&1 and Evonik* | Evonik | 35 million in total | 2025 |
| RB Leipzig | Red Bull | Red Bull | 35 million | 2023 |
| FC Schalke 04 | Gazprom | Gazprom | 20 million | 2022 |
| VfB Stuttgart | Mercedes-Benz-Bank | Mercedes-Benz-Bank | 10 million** | 2023 |
| Borussia M'Gladbach | Flatex | Postbank | 9 million | 2023 |
| SV Werder Bremen | Wiesenhof | Wiesenhof | 8 million | 2022 |
| 1. FC Köln | Rewe | Rewe | 7.5 million | 2022 |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | Indeed | Indeed | 7 million | 2023 |
| Bayer 04 Leverkusen | Barmenia | Barmenia | 6 million | 2024 |
| TSG Hoffenheim | SAP | SAP | 5.5 million | 2025 |
| FC Augsburg | WWK | WWK | 4.2 million*** | 2030 |
| 1. FSV Mainz 05 | Kömmerling | Kömmerling | 4 million | 2023 |
| SC Freiburg | Schwarzwaldmilch | Schwarzwaldmilch | 3 million. | 2021 |
| Union Berlin | Aroundtown | Aroundtown | 2.5 million | 2021 |
| Arminia Bielefeld | Schüco | Schüco | 2.5 million | 2021 |
| Hertha BSC | no sponsor | Tedi | - | - |
*1&1 for Bundesliga matches, Evonik for DFB Cup and Champions League matches
**including sleeve sponsorship
*** including rights to the stadium name
All information about the income is based on estimates of the "Kicker".
An exact sum of all jersey sponsorship income in the Bundesliga can hardly be determined - as neither the club nor the company usually provides information about details and many contracts are concluded on a performance-related basis. For championships, Champions League or European League participations there is usually an additional substantial bonus.
Although VfB Stuttgart last played in the 2nd Bundesliga, the newcomer is also in the top third of the Bundeslia with 10 million euros in revenues from the main sponsor Mercedes-Benz-Bank.
Co-rising Arminia Bielefeld, on the other hand, is at the bottom of the ranking together with Union Berlin with 2.5 million euros in revenues.
Besides BVB with 1&1, only Borussia Mönchengladbach has a new jersey sponsor. There Flatex replaces the previous long-standing sponsor Postbank.
Eintracht Frankfurt and TSG Hoffenheim have extended their contracts with Indeed and SAP, which expired in 2020.
For three teams, the 2020/21 season is the last year of contracts with their current jersey sponsors. The SC Freiburg, Union Berlin and Arminia Bielefeld are affected. For the latter two teams in particular, for whom experts predict a season in danger of relegation, it would be all the more important to maintain their class in the hunt for a lucrative kit deal.
Also Hertha BSC would have gone into the last year of the contract with the discounter Tedi. But both sides agreed in July 2020 to an early termination of the contract. The Hertha investor group Tennor, led by Lars Windhorst, is aiming for more attractive investors and higher income.
The Berliners' jerseys, which have been free of a sponsor in the meantime, were well received by the fans: When the new jersey went on sale officially without a breast sponsor, the club's online shop was briefly brought to its knees by the demand of fans.
Although BVB receives relatively little sponsorship money for the jersey (20 million euros) from the energy company Evonik in comparison to its growing importance in German football, it has retained its main sponsor, FC Bayern, as a shareholder for the long term. Evonik holds around 15 percent of Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co KGaA. Deutsche Telekom holds 8.33 percent of FCB.
