Emirates is set to become the longest-serving main shirt sponsor in Real Madrid’s history after extending its partnership with the Spanish club through 2031.
The airline renewed its agreement with Real Madrid earlier this summer. According to reports in the Spanish media, the new deal is worth around €100 million per year, up from previous estimates of between €70 million and €80 million.
Emirates has been associated with Real Madrid since 2011 and became the club’s principal shirt sponsor in 2013. If the agreement runs through to 2031 as planned, the airline will have occupied the front of the Real Madrid shirt for 18 consecutive seasons.
That would double the previous record held by Teka, which sponsored Real Madrid for nine seasons between 1992 and 2001.
A long-term partnership in an increasingly valuable market
Real Madrid has had nine different main shirt sponsors over the past four decades, with the average partnership lasting fewer than five seasons.
Zanussi, Parmalat, Reny Picot, Otaysa, Teka, Realmadrid.com, Siemens Mobile, BenQ Siemens and Bwin all preceded Emirates on the club’s shirt.
The length of the Emirates partnership therefore stands out in a sponsorship market where major football properties regularly change commercial partners as brands seek different audiences, markets and activation opportunities.
The renewed agreement keeps Emirates as the principal sponsor of both Real Madrid’s men’s and women’s football teams through 2031.
Emirates expands across Real Madrid’s sporting portfolio
The new agreement also broadens the relationship beyond football.
For the first time, Emirates will become a partner of Real Madrid’s basketball team, with that agreement also running until 2031.
The partnership additionally includes branding opportunities at the Santiago Bernabéu and access to the Emirates Lounge hospitality area, giving the airline exposure across both commercial and matchday environments.
The expansion reflects the growing value of Real Madrid as a multi-sport commercial platform, allowing Emirates to combine global brand visibility on the football shirt with hospitality, stadium activation and basketball exposure.
With the deal running until 2031, Emirates is set to establish one of the longest-running major sponsorship relationships in Spanish football while maintaining a premium position across Real Madrid’s wider sporting ecosystem