August 1 – Emirates has had to swallow its pride with German giants, Bayern Munich, settling for a platinum partnership worth €5 million annually after losing out on the main prize, the front-of-shirt deal that went to Deutsche Telekom instead.
Deutsche Telekom’s renewal is reportedly worth around €65 million per season – 13 times what Emirates will pay for their seven-year deal. That’s the difference between being the headline act and being part of the supporting cast.
Front-of-shirt sponsorship carries far more weight than any other commercial partnership. It’s the logo that appears in every photograph, every goal celebration, every trophy lift. For a brand like Emirates which has built its football strategy almost exclusively around high-profile shirt deals and stadium naming rights this represents a notable departure from their usual playbook.
The airline sponsors the shirts of heavyweights such as Real Madrid and Arsenal, plus owns the naming rights to Arsenal’s stadium. Bayern was supposed to be another jewel in that crown.
Yet Emirates’ decision to take a lower-tier deal suggests they still see value in associating with Bayern, even without the prime real estate. The Bavarian’s remain one of Europe’s most successful clubs, with a global fanbase that stretches far beyond Germany’s borders.
The timing is telling too. Bayern’s previous airline partnership with Qatar Airways ended in 2023 amid fan pressure over human rights concerns. Emirates, despite being based in the same region, appears to have avoided similar scrutiny.
Emirates will spin this as strategic diversification, moving beyond their traditional shirt-and-stadium model. The reality is probably simpler – they wanted Bayern’s shirt, couldn’t match Deutsche Telekom’s offer, but didn’t want to walk away empty-handed.
Whether that makes business sense depends on how you measure success. If it’s pure visibility per euro spent, Emirates has probably overpaid. If it’s about maintaining relationships with Europe’s elite clubs and keeping competitors out, then €5 million annually might be money well spent.
The bigger picture here is Deutsche Telekom’s commitment with a reported 30% increase shows just how valuable these partnerships have become. For Emirates, missing out on that level of exposure is undoubtedly disappointing, even if they’ll never admit it publicly.
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