Manchester United have struck a big-money shirt sponsorship deal with TeamViewer despite the difficult coronavirus backdrop, with managing director Richard Arnold calling it a "really, really exciting deal" for the club.
Chevrolet has been front and centre of the Premier League club's shirts since the American car manufacturer signed a then record seven-year deal in 2014.
United have confirmed TeamViewer will replace them as principal shirt sponsor from the 2021-22 season, having signed a five-year agreement with the global technology company.
The PA news agency understands that the deal is similar to Barcelona's 55million euro (£47million) per season deal with Rakuten, making it worth around £235million to the Old Trafford giants.
Two global winning teams united by a passion to connect and empower people all around the world! We are thrilled to become the Official Shirt Partner of @ManUtd ⚽↔️ 🌍 https://t.co/Rdv0tLxb5T #MUFC pic.twitter.com/5qmqfWaiuw — TeamViewer (@TeamViewer) March 19, 2021
That makes it the largest shirt-only sponsorship in the Premier League and United managing director Arnold is proud to have teamed up with TeamViewer at such a challenging time.
"We ran a process and that's very much the norm for us," Arnold told PA. "That process ran through the pandemic and I think that's testament to the resilience of the staff that work in the team.
"That's very much, again, another brand attribute for the club in terms of resilience – that keeping going in the most difficult of circumstances.
"That's been done alongside the work that we've done from a corporate social responsibility point of view and supporting staff through the pandemic so I think that's the first point.
"I think the second point is the process was incredibly successful. We had more than 10 participants in the final phase.
"We were able to choose between partners, which is a very fortunate situation to be in, in the context (of the pandemic), but I think that that's a reflection, again, of the enduring appeal of Manchester United – the greatest club in the world.
"I'm very lucky to work there and fortunate to be in that position.
"In respect of the economic aspects, we won't talk about money and it being the biggest deal and how it compares. Obviously it's strong. We're Manchester United and so that's not a surprise.
"But we're really, really excited about who we're partnering with and the road forward that that presents.
"It's a really, really exciting deal for the club. Manchester United has partnered with a really exciting company in a really exciting sector, and that bodes incredibly well – both for them and for us as a club."
TeamViewer will be emblazoned on the front of United's shirts from next season, when their logo is set to be white on the home shirt rather using the company's regular blue colour scheme – little surprise given rivals Manchester City's kit.
"TeamViewer have a number of corporate colours associated with the different products they have, so red, white, blue and dark grey," Arnold said.
"For those in the know about the various colours that we tend to have between the home and away shirts, that matches up and then the colouring of the logo relative to the background is varied to match.
"It's very much the case that they match the entire palette of the Manchester United brand and it's a good fit, rather than any conflict."
Chevrolet's shirt deal included automobile sponsorship, which will become available as a separate category.
The club announced in October that the car manufacturer had signed a six-month shirt sponsorship extension until the end of 2021, but TeamViewer will take over for 2021-22.
Arnold said United maintain a "phenomenal" relationship with Chevrolet and "discussions with them are ongoing about the future."
The managing director also confirmed talks continue with Aon, whose eight-year training kit and training ground sponsorship deal expires this summer.
"It's a constant dialogue and the timing of the expiry of the current deal is a matter of public record, in terms of this summer," Arnold said.
"But, again, it wouldn't be right for me to comment on ongoing discussions with Aon.
"But they're a fantastic company and their support of the club has been phenomenal, again, through great times and indeed through the pandemic."
Asked how big sponsorship deals with the likes of TeamViewer impact the on-field situation, Arnold added: "I think that goes back to the fact I genuinely feel lucky to work for Manchester United. It's an amazing club, it's an amazing place to work.
"One of the things when you join the club that people point you to is the history.
"And when you're getting those values communicated to you by Sir Alex and Sir Bobby, the legends and greats of the game, it puts you in sort of quite humble position.
"I'm in my 14th year at the club and you know that there was someone doing an amazing job in my role well over 100 years ago. In another 100 there will be again.
"You know, that very much puts into context the work that you do. From that point of view, it's just important to maintain that."
