Official – Newcastle United Confirm New Front-of-Shirt Sponsor as Massive Deal and Contract Length Revealed

Newcastle United and Saudi events company Sela have officially ended their three-year front-of-shirt sponsorship agreement, bringing the partnership to a close on friendly terms, with Sela thanking the club and its supporters for the relationship.

The original deal, signed in June 2023, was worth around £25 million per season and £75 million in total, but it also faced scrutiny due to both parties being linked to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and concerns around Premier League fair market value rules.

During the partnership, the collaboration was widely praised for its fan engagement initiatives, including the “Unsilence the Crowd” campaign, which introduced special haptic “Sound Shirts” for deaf and hearing-impaired supporters at St. James’ Park, as well as the Sela Cup pre-season tournament.

Sela’s branding is now being fully removed from St. James’ Park, with Newcastle briefly going without a front-of-shirt sponsor before securing a new three-year deal worth £60 million with South African sports drink company KNOX Hydration.

KNOX Hydrate now officially announced by the Club as our new front-of-shirt sponsor.

3-year deal.

The new agreement marks another major commercial step for Newcastle United as the club continues to strengthen its revenue streams alongside its on-pitch ambitions under the current project.

While full commercial details of the KNOX Hydration partnership have not been publicly broken down in detail, the agreement is understood to cover a three-year period and will see the brand take over the front-of-shirt position across the men’s first team kits, replacing Sela immediately as the club transitions into a new sponsorship cycle.

The end of the Sela partnership closes a notable chapter in Newcastle’s recent commercial history.

Beyond the financial value of the deal, the collaboration was heavily focused on global visibility and fan engagement projects, particularly around accessibility and matchday experience at St. James’ Park.

Initiatives like the “Unsilence the Crowd” campaign helped position the club as a leader in inclusive fan experience in the Premier League, while the Sela Cup also added an additional pre-season competition that brought international clubs to Tyneside.

However, the partnership also existed under increased scrutiny due to ownership connections and Premier League regulations around fair market value assessments for related-party sponsorships.

Despite this, both parties consistently maintained that the deal was conducted within league guidelines and delivered strong commercial and social value for the club.

Attention now shifts to the new era with KNOX Hydration, as Newcastle continue their push to grow commercially alongside their sporting project.

The expectation is that the deal will support the club’s ongoing investment strategy while expanding its global sponsorship reach, particularly in emerging sports and wellness markets.