Chelsea await approval over new shirt sponsorship deal with Infinite Athlete

Chelsea are waiting for the Premier League to approve their £40million-a-year front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with sports data company Infinite Athlete.

Infinite Athlete was created just a week before discussions about becoming Chelsea’s sponsor began and its estimated turnover is £12m this year, so it is being asked for funding proof.

The start-up aims to prove it has raised significant funding through venture capital and is keen to use the Chelsea sponsorship to launch its brand globally.

There are also concerns whether the deal will pass Premier League “fair market” rules, with Infinite-backer Silver Lake linked to Clearlake Capital, owner of a majority stake in Chelsea.

Chelsea’s new CEO Chris Jurasek, who was an executive at Clearlake, is understood to be working on the deal.

Jurasek aims to end a run of sponsorless matches for Chelsea, who will likely face Luton in the Premier League with a blank shirt on Friday night.

It follows Chelsea pulling out of a deal with betting firm Stake.com following a negative fan reaction and the Premier League blocking a deal with Paramount+ over concerns the deal would break rules protecting the league’s TV rights holders.