While Everton’s going through a break up with SportPesa, the question of who the team’s next sponsor will be has stoked rumors.
Is Swissx Everton’s New Sponsor?
Recent reports have suggested that Swissx, a premier brand in plant-based medicine, is interested in signing a shirt sponsorship with Everton. Still not officially confirmed, it’s guesswork whether Swissx’ logo will actually appear on Everton’s shirts next season.
Considering Everton’s pending break up with SportPesa, though, the question remains as to who will the Blues’ new sponsor be. Rumor has it that Swissx might be the new print on Everton’s shirts.
The company focuses on plant-based medicine. They produce cannabidiol (CBD) but also engage in packaging. Given that Everton are looking for a sponsor, Swissx is one of the many companies that got in touch.
Cited by The Insider, billionaire and Swissx owner Alki David commented: “I’m not walking away from Barca, I’m keeping the door wide open. But we are now engaged with Everton to take over their shirt. The front of their shirt“. Another matter of interest is the ownership of Swissx.
Many people wonder if the ex-heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson is related to the company. Following the creation of the “Tyson Ranch,” some have suggested a connection with Swissx and David.
Such a connection was not officially confirmed but rather rejected, when Tyson Ranch CEO Rob Hickman said announced: “I repeat, Mike and I and Tyson Ranch are not in business with Mr David“. “Tyson Ranch” official even reached out to BusinessInsider, asking for a correction stating that Mr Tyson actually owned – or had a stake – in Swissx.
A Short History of Everton’s Shirt Sponsorship
Everton FC, AKA the Blues, was founded in Liverpool back in 1878. The team’s first shirt sponsor was Hafnia. The company sponsored the Blues between 1979 to 1985. Hafnia’s logo could be seen on players’ shirts during the 1984 FA cup final win. For the next ten years, from 1985 to 1995, the Nippon Electric Company or NEC, became Everton’s sponsor. At that time, NEC was among the top manufacturers of desktop computers in the world.
Between 1995-1997, Danka became the next sponsor for the Blues and one2one backed the team between 1997 to 2002. In more recent years, Everton was supported by Chang Beer. The deal was worth some $1.8 million. Chang Beer is actually the biggest brewer in Thailand and was supporting Everton until 2017. Since 2017, SportPesa is Everton’s official shirt sponsor.
Everton’s Current Sponsor – SportPesa and the Kenya Fiasco
Everton’s current sponsor is SportPesa. The sponsorship deal, worth nearly $60 million over a period of 5 years or some $12 million per year, is due to end two years earlier than planned.
Back in February, Everton made the announcement and said that a new sponsor would be appointed before the start of the 2020/21 season. In the announcement, Everton’s spokesperson noted:
This has been a difficult decision but one that allows us to best deliver on our commercial plan and to grasp the new opportunities now open to us. The Club would like to thank SportPesa for all of the work that has been done together. Our partnership has seen our first team visit Africa on two occasions, as well as former players and Club staff take part in numerous activations in the region“.
SportPesa made at least two separate social media gaffes that promoted the bemusement and angst of Everton fans. This however is not the first mishap around SportPesa. Back in 2019 the government of Kenya refused to renew the license of the company. Following this decision, SportPesa had to suspend its operations in the country, leaving a lot of worried football players and fans.