According to TBR Football, the jersey sleeve advertising sponsorship contract between Manchester United and DXC Technology is about to expire, and the club is facing adjustments at the commercial level.

As one of Manchester United's most important commercial contracts, their sponsorship contract with DXC Technology will expire at the end of this season. The US IT and consultancy firm has agreed a global partnership with Manchester United ahead of the 2022-23 season, with the sponsorship reportedly worth £20m per year. In terms of sponsorship fees, this agreement is Manchester United's third highest existing sponsorship contract, second only to the agreements with Adidas and Qualcomm Snapdragon brand. When initially announced, the deal was described only as a "multi-year" arrangement, but the club has yet to reveal when exactly it will be renewed.

Manchester United's commercial revenue has been an important pillar during periods of poor performance on the pitch, protecting them from the consequences that other clubs with fewer resources might face. In the 2024-25 season, the Red Devils' total revenue from licensing, merchandising, events and other commercial revenue streams will reach a record high of 333 million pounds, of which 188 million pounds will come from sponsorship. The figure is a new high despite Amorim's side finishing 15th in the Premier League, their worst position since the 1974-75 season.

Although the club is still losing money in operations and player transactions, Manchester United has been able to avoid sanctions from the Premier League's PSR enforcers thanks to its commercial security network and the financial support provided by Sir Ratcliffe. However, their growth has been minimal. In fact, in real terms, their business income has not even kept pace with UK inflation since 2016. The same is true in terms of overall turnover, with the £515m they earned in the 2015-16 season now worth around £711m, but reports for the 2024-25 financial year show revenue of £667m.

A return to the lucrative Champions League would easily make up the difference, but the more fundamental problem is that costs are exploding. Over the past decade, Manchester United has spent more than £3 billion on wages and registered nearly £1.5 billion in transfer amortization. As a return on investment, exchanging 4.5 billion pounds for two FA Cups, two League Cups and a Europa League title is frankly unacceptable.

Ratcliffe and the Glazer family recognize this. In addition to significant cost cuts and layoffs, they have also launched "Project 90" internally, aiming to improve the club's balance sheet by £90 million per year through further cost reductions and commercial activities.

Finding a new jersey sleeve advertising sponsor is a complex process. The Premier League's self-ban on front-of-shirt betting sponsorships is expected to result in significant value transfer to the shirt-sleeve advertising category. It will be a buyer's market as 11 top clubs seek new front-of-shirt advertising sponsors.

A football finance source revealed to TBR Football that Manchester United may bundle the shirt armband and training equipment sponsorship rights with the naming rights of the recently refurbished Carrington Training Center, but the naming rights deal at Old Trafford is currently less likely.

Manchester United launched unsponsored training gear this summer, and the category is now one of the club's most valuable assets. Previously, Manchester United’s training equipment agreement with blockchain company Tezos was worth 20 million pounds per year.

DXC Technology and Manchester United have a four-year partnership worth £80 million. They provide Manchester United with a digital data center to collect and analyze fan data, as well as a football data center to collect real-time analysis and performance insights.