Premier League nets extension to Nike partnership

The English Premier League has agreed a three-year extension to its partnership with Nike under which the US sports goods manufacturer will continue to supply the competition’s official football.

Nike has been a Premier League partner since 2000-01 and will remain the official ball provider across the 2016-17 to 2018-19 seasons of the top division of English football.

The new agreement will include Nike support for the Premier League Players’ Kit Scheme from next season.

The Kit Scheme is funded by Premier League players and has already supplied over 4,200 schools and local teams with kits since its inception. Stoke City goalkeeper Jack Butland this week provided a kit to Newstead Primary School in Stoke-on-Trent.

Premier League managing director, Richard Masters, said: “Nike’s commitment to the League, and that of our other commercial partners, is very important in helping us continue to put on a high quality football competition which is enjoyed by fans in the UK and around the world.”

Lorenzo Moretti, vice-president and general manager for western Europe football at Nike, added: “Nike is able to continually innovate through the relationships we hold with the world’s best players, clubs, federations and leagues. With this renewal, we look forward to further strengthening the Premier League.”