Chelsea and Sunderland are the only Premier League clubs starting the 2026-27 season without a front-of-shirt sponsor. Chelsea say negotiations take time, citing Manchester United's Team Viewer deal. Inconsistent performances have hurt Chelsea's commercial prospects; they sought £65m but now target £50-55m per season. The Sponsor's index shows Chelsea's value dropped from £50.3m to £33.6m. Chelsea's 15-year Nike deal (£900m total) is now below market value, so they're cautious. This will be the fourth straight season without a front-of-shirt sponsor; short-term deals with IFS, Infinite Athlete, and Damac filled gaps.

Sunderland lost gambling sponsor W88 due to the new Premier League ban on gambling front-of-shirt sponsors from 2025-26. Eleven clubs had gambling sponsors last season; three were relegated. Seven clubs switched sponsors; Sunderland haven't finalized a replacement. The ban followed consultation with DCMS. Under-18s already wore sponsor-free shirts.