Why are Brighton sponsored by a Florida city almost nobody in England has heard of?
How is Walt Disney World close to the hearts of the Brighton & Hove Albion players?
The answer lies in their unusual shirt-sleeve sponsorship deal with Experience Kissimmee, the tourism board of Osceola County in Florida, which has become the club's latest U.S. partner.
Overseeing an area including some of Disney's famous theme parks as well as the city of Kissimmee, the board signed a three-year deal with Brighton last summer, meaning its logo features on the left arm of the men's, women's and academy matchday shirts, truly inches from the players' hearts.
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Kissimmee took over from Snickers UK — a workwear manufacturer, not the chocolate bar of the same name — which had been Brighton's sleeve partner since 2019, having itself succeeded retailer JD Sports.
But why was a county in Florida so keen to have its name on the kit of an English football team?
Kissimmee is located just south of Orlando and is the largest city in Osceola County, with a population of just over 80,000 — around a third of Brighton's. It is a popular tourist destination due to its proximity to theme parks, including Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort and golf courses, not to mention the often glorious weather.
The Experience Kissimmee website boasts of 'sunny blue skies, winding rivers, and sparkling lakes alongside world-famous theme parks and larger-than-life attractions.'
Russell Wood, Brighton's head of commercial, tells The Athletic: 'When you look at the global audience, Kissimmee are ultimately trying to drive (hotel) room nights — visitors who will stay to experience everything. The Premier League and Brighton give them a platform to advertise to people in key markets, who will travel from places such as Brazil, the UK and other parts of the United States. We are a big marketing asset for them.
'They previously partnered with West Ham at a lower level (than sleeve sponsorship). That relationship ended. We approached them for a chat, they came over from the U.S. to see about 10 Premier League clubs with the intention of partnering with a club. We really aligned from the perspective of our values. They felt our proposition was compelling and would work for them.
'The conversation was actually about partnerships. It developed into a sleeve deal, which is one of our premium assets. Anything on the (matchday) shirt is the highest value with the highest impact. It drives significant media value and visibility around the world, on broadcasting and in print.'
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Brighton aren't the only English club to be sponsored by a tourist board.
Arsenal have Visit Rwanda on the sleeves of their players' shirts, while Bournemouth have a slightly less controversial training-kit deal with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), and Championship club Burnley signed a partnership last season with Visit Detroit.
As well as the shirt-sleeve sponsorship, Kissimmee sponsors away-coach travel for Brighton supporters to WSL (Super League) matches for the women's team.
Sleeve sponsorship is a growing market and is increasingly lucrative for Premier League clubs.
In 2017-18, Brighton's first season back in the top flight of English football after a gap of 34 years, sleeve sponsorship was still emerging, and there was no data evidence to establish its worth. That has changed appreciably over the seven years since as it has become the third-ranking revenue driver relating to the matchday shirt, after the more visible chest area and a club's overall kit partner.
Until this season, sleeve sponsorship deals were not in place for every Premier League club, but all 20 have them now. A study by respected website Sporting Intelligence reports these are worth £111.25million ($144.1m) in total. That figure is dwarfed by a combined £422.5m for front-of-shirt sponsors, but individual sleeve deals still contribute between £1m and £20m to a club's revenue streams.
At the top end, Manchester United's front-of-shirt deal with U.S. technology company Snapdragon and sleeve sponsorship with American IT and consulting provider DXC are worth a combined £80million per season. Brighton rank mid-table at a combined £12million per season for their shirt-front deal with American Express and Kissimmee sleeve partnership — £10m from the former and £2m via the latter.
These two deals run in tandem with the club's continued efforts to grow their brand in the States.
Brighton have an association with Sea Coast United, an amalgamation of community clubs in the north-eastern states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine. They were also one of the clubs who took part in the Premier League's first 'Summer Series' pre-season tournament in the U.S. in 2023, while a go-it-alone pre-season tour has been mooted to the country that will co-host next year's men's World Cup with neighbours Canada and Mexico.
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Supporters groups have been established in New York, Philadelphia, the state of Ohio, Houston and Chicago, while fan group Stateside Seagulls has grown to over 1,000 members from all over the country since it was founded in 2016.
Brighton's deal with Kissimmee also consolidates the club's trans-Atlantic links.
American Express, the New York-based financial services giant, has been the club's main sponsor since 2010. That long-standing partnership includes naming rights to the stadium, which opened the following year, and training kit. The arrangement was extended by a further 12 years in 2019, to the tune of more than £100million.
American Express is also sponsoring a clubhouse for cardholders and guests in a new fan zone outside the stadium, called 'The Terrace', which opens for the FA Cup quarter-final against Nottingham Forest this Saturday, March 29.
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