How much West Ham’s new shirt sponsor could be worth as huge company sets £70bn target

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West Ham remain on the hunt for a new front-of-shirt sponsor, with the club having held talks with the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

The government-backed organisation is targeting the equivalent of £70bn in tourism revenue this year and reportedly sees partnering with a Premier League club as a useful marketing exercise.

West Ham have been courting the market for a new primary sponsor since the Premier League voted to ban front-of-shirt gambling advertising from the start of 2026-27, thus spelling the end of the Hammers’ current deal with Irish bookmaker Boyle Sports, who themselves replaced long-standing sponsor Betway this season.

According to sources, however, the relationship with Boyle Sports could continue in some capacity given that the Premier League is yet to ban gambling marketing in perimeter advertising, shirt sleeves or any other area other than front-of-shirt.

If West Ham are relegated, just how worried are you about our finances?

The club has lost HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS over the last two seasons…

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Many campaigners and fan groups believe the ban does not go far enough. Indeed, early signs suggest that the value from the gambling sector will simply migrate to other sponsorship assets. After leaving West Ham, for example, Betway have now sponsored Man United’s training kit in an £18m-a-year deal.

The elephant in the room, of course, is that West Ham could theoretically do a front-of-shirt deal with another gambling company next season if they are in the Championship, where there has been no equivalent ban. That is one among many complex financial considerations with Nuno Espirito Santo and his team continuing their relegation dogfight against league leaders and Champions League finalists Arsenal this weekend.

Commercially, the expert view is that West Ham should have made more of the move to the London Stadium, which was pitched to fans as allowing the club to make a quantum leap forward. But growth in the sponsorship and merchandising department has been anaemic compared to many of their rivals.

So, if the Irons do stay up, how much might the new deal – whether with the Tourist Authority of Thailand or another partner – be worth? Hammers News asked University of Liverpool football finance academic Kieran Maguire.

“They have a large fanbase and some cachet as an authentic, working class London club,” said the Price of Football podcast.

“There is a London factor to be built into a front-of-shirt deal from a sponsor’s point of view too because a deal with West Ham allows you to entertain clients in London. If you’re a global brand, you want that kind of geographical access.

“When you put all of those factors together, they will be looking at the £15m and perhaps even a little more, assuming they stay in the Premier League.”