Atlético working to finalize new shirt, stadium sponsorship agreements

A lot is expected to change at Atlético Madrid this summer — starting, perhaps, with a new shirt sponsor, as well as a new name for the Wanda Metropolitano.

Per reports published in El Mundo and Diario AS this week, Atlético are preparing to announce an agreement with digital investing platform WhaleFin to replace financial tech firm Plus500 as the club’s main shirt sponsor from next season.

Plus500, headquartered in Israel, have featured prominently on Atlético’s shirts since the 2015/16 season. Atleti’s €15 million per year deal with the company expires after this season, and El Mundo reported Monday that the club has struck a five-year deal worth over €40 million annually to promote the Amber Group-affiliated cryptocurrency app.

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The agreement with WhaleFin is also expected to strengthen Atleti’s digital branding through a variety of new projects — in addition to establishing a rojiblanco footprint in the nascent metaverse.

As for the Metropolitano, the China-based Wanda Group have held naming rights to Atlético’s stadium since 2016 (it opened the following September). But this five-year, €50 million agreement is expiring, too.

According to AS, Atlético’s league title win last season has driven up international interest for companies seeking to adorn the Metropolitano’s exterior. There seem to be several parties interested, with Atleti’s chief decision-makers (including, presumably, CEO Miguel Ángel Gil and president Enrique Cerezo) evaluating the offers that have arrived so far.

AS did not give a timetable for when a new stadium naming rights agreement can be expected.