Liverpool Football Club has abruptly ended its 17-year kit partnership with Nike, announcing a £60 million, six-season deal with Adidas starting in 2026. The decision, confirmed by club officials on Tuesday, marks one of the most significant commercial shifts in Premier League history and leaves Nike’s dominance in English football kit supply facing its biggest challenge in years.
The announcement came just days after Nike’s 2025-26 kit designs for Liverpool were leaked online, sparking fan backlash over colors and sponsorship placement. Club sources say the decision was finalized internally within weeks of those designs being rejected by senior leadership. Liverpool’s commercial director, Billy Hogan, confirmed the switch in a brief statement, calling it "a bold step to align with a brand that shares our global ambitions."
Key Points
- ✅ Liverpool FC ends 17-year Nike partnership
- ⚡ £60m deal with Adidas begins in 2026
- 💡 Kit designs for 2025-26 were reportedly rejected by club
Sources close to the negotiations say Nike offered to renegotiate terms but was unwilling to match Adidas’s financial and creative guarantees. Liverpool’s shirt sponsorship with Standard Chartered remains intact, meaning the new Adidas kits will still feature the bank’s logo. The first Adidas kits are expected to be unveiled in May 2026 ahead of the 2026-27 season.
| Brand | Deal Value | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Nike | £45m | 2008–2026 |
| Adidas | £60m | 2026–2032 |
The timing of the switch has raised eyebrows among kit manufacturers. Nike’s last Liverpool kit design—a controversial all-black third strip—was criticized by fans for its stark departure from the club’s traditional red. A group of supporters launched a petition demanding the club reconsider, which gathered over 50,000 signatures in under 48 hours. Liverpool’s official social media accounts were flooded with messages urging the club to "keep the red."
💡 Pro Tip
Kit launches are now as critical to fan engagement as transfer windows—clubs must balance commercial appeal with tradition or risk backlash that overshadows even the biggest signings.
Industry analysts note that Adidas’s victory is part of a wider strategy to regain ground lost to Nike in European football. Adidas currently supplies kits to Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich, but Liverpool’s global fanbase—estimated at 300 million—makes this deal particularly valuable. The German brand has pledged to invest heavily in Liverpool’s marketing, including a multi-year partnership with the club’s official fantasy football platform.
- 2026 — First Adidas kits released
- 2026-27 — First season in Adidas kit
- 2032 — Contract ends, could be renegotiated
Nike, which also supplies Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur, has not commented on Liverpool’s decision. However, a senior executive at the Oregon-based company told this newspaper that the loss "does not signal a shift in strategy" but admitted it "raises questions about our approach to heritage clubs." The executive spoke on condition of anonymity, citing ongoing negotiations with other Premier League sides.
📋 By The Numbers
- 17 years — Length of Liverpool’s partnership with Nike
- 300 million — Estimated global Liverpool fanbase
- 50,000 — Signatures on anti-Nike petition in 48 hours
The move also coincides with Liverpool’s £500 million stadium expansion plans at Anfield, announced last month. Club CEO Peter Moore hinted that the commercial boost from the Adidas deal could help fund the project, though he declined to confirm direct financial links. "This partnership is about more than money," Moore said. "It’s about connecting with a brand that understands our heritage while pushing us forward."
- 🔥 Adidas gains Liverpool’s global reach after 17 years of Nike
- 📉 Nike’s grip on Liverpool ends abruptly amid fan discontent
- ⚠️ Fan backlash over kit designs may force clubs to rethink launch strategies
