In a strategic move ahead of the Premier League’s planned ban on betting brands occupying the front-of-shirt sponsorship spot, Everton has announced CMC Markets as its new main shirt sponsor. Meanwhile, Stake will continue its partnership with the club through a sleeve sponsorship, which will remain active alongside the new deal. Starting from the 2026/27 season, CMC’s logo will be featured prominently on Everton’s jerseys.
The club confirmed that CMC Markets, a platform specializing in share trading and spread betting, will replace Stake as the front-of-shirt sponsor. Rumors about the switch had been circulating since March, and it aligns with the league’s self-imposed ban on betting sponsors beginning in 2026/27. Everton supported this move when 18 of the league’s 20 clubs approved it in 2023.
Lord Peter Cruddas, Founder and CEO of CMC Markets, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership: “Football is one of the few passions in life that inspires lifelong commitment because, like financial markets, you invest in your club long-term. Supporters are passionate about their clubs, and at CMC Markets, we are passionate about investing and trading. We see that same mindset among many of our clients. They are loyal and strive to achieve success through patience, resilience and confidence. Everton is a great club, with a proud history and deep connections to its community. We are proud to partner with a club that shares our core values, identity and passion. Wishing Everton every success for the coming seasons.”
From 2026/27 onwards, CMC’s branding will appear on the front of Everton’s men’s, women’s, and under-21 kits. The club describes this as a multi-year arrangement, positioning CMC’s logo as a fresh, new symbol on Everton’s shirts as the betting sponsorship era concludes. The partnership isn’t limited to just kit branding. CMC’s logo will also feature across Everton’s matchday and digital platforms, including prominent venues like Hill Dickinson Stadium (the women’s stadium), Goodison Park, and Finch Farm. This extends the partnership into various facets of the club’s operations, ensuring a wider reach beyond the pitch.
As a FTSE250-listed company, CMC Markets’ spread betting business is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Andrew Middleton, Everton’s President of Business Operations, shared his thoughts:
“This is an important agreement for the club and one that will play a key role in our continued commercial growth. Partnerships of this scale help us strengthen revenues, build a more sustainable platform for success and support our ambitions on and off the pitch. We are also excited by the opportunities this creates to deliver a proposition that every Evertonian can be proud of – on matchdays, across digital channels and in the community. We look forward to working closely with CMC Markets to bring this partnership to life in a way that is meaningful for our supporters, and to creating moments that reflect the ambition of both organisations.”
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Everton emphasizes that this deal aims to boost revenue streams and foster a sustainable future amid the financial pressures of Premier League regulations. The new sponsorship also ensures continuity of betting-related income through formats still permitted under league policy, highlighting how clubs are adapting to tighter restrictions.
Alongside the new front-of-shirt deal, Everton confirmed that Stake will remain a sleeve sponsor through a multi-year agreement. The partnership will also extend into matchday and digital channels. Stake previously held the front-of-shirt sponsorship for four years before making way for CMC Markets.
Akhil Sarin, Stake’s Chief Marketing Officer, commented: “Our partnership with Everton has been an important and successful one, and we are proud to continue our relationship with one of English football’s most historic and globally recognised clubs. Stake is built around sport, entertainment and culture. The partnerships we choose are deliberate, ambitious, built on innovation and a genuine connection to our global communities. Over the past four years, Everton has provided Stake with a powerful platform to connect with audiences around the world, and we have valued the opportunity to support the Club during a landmark period in its history.”
While the Premier League’s sponsorship rules allow sleeve branding, LED advertising, social media deals, and training kit sponsorships, Stake’s status as an unlicensed and inactive entity in the UK has sparked some controversy. Critics, including Entain, have raised concerns. The DCMS is currently consulting on whether sponsorships from unlicensed betting companies should be banned across UK sports, amid ongoing debates about the league’s global viewership and potential exposure to international audiences outside the UK.
