What "Officially Licensed" Really Means on a Football Gift

When it comes to “Officially Licensed” football gifts, the label on the tag is part of the product.

A Chelsea mug without a licence is just a blue mug. A Manchester United scarf without a licence is just a red one.

What the club adds, however, is the crest. And while the rights to the crest are never sold, they're rented out on terms that benefit the club and the licensee.

Source: Unsplash

These types of deals are now some of the largest businesses in sport, and it’s worth understanding more before buying anything with a badge on it.

What the Club Sells

Clubs focus on football and all the business around it. However, they never manufacture mugs, scarves, or keyrings. Instead, they approve the production of them by other businesses. They’ve got terms and agreements with these manufacturers that allow them to create, distribute, and sell products with their club name on them in exchange for something in return.

That exchange, of course, is money. Which is why sports licensing was worth around £33 billion in 2025, up 8.5% from the year prior. It’s also the third-largest licensing category behind entertainment and corporate brands.

How Much Do Clubs Make?

It's difficult to see how much all clubs make, but Manchester United’s latest report shows their figures. According to the report, United's retail, merchandise, apparel, and product licensing line brought in £144.9 million in the fiscal year 2025.

That's not just the kit alone. That's everything from drinkware to bedding, dog leads to umbrellas. Sometimes, these products are collaborations with other big names - for instance, United's Pantone line, highlighting that iconic red. 

Why the Buyer Should Care

When a product holds an official license, you’re guaranteed that part of the purchase goes back to the club. However much this depends on the deal; there’s always a lump sum, profit split, royalty, or revenue split in play.

A non-licensed product is a trademark breach. The club hasn’t approved this company to produce products with their badge or name on them. It also means the club isn’t receiving any profits from the manufacturer, and all profits made go straight to the seller. Plus, there's no vetting process, and it's likely the quality will be worse - the colours might be slightly off, or some of the fine detailing in the crest missing.

Same Deal, Different Shelf

This licensing model isn’t just used for physical gifts or for football, in fact. It’s used in many industries and sectors.

Television brands, for example, rent their names the same way. Just take a look at some Slingo games, such as Deal or No Deal Slingo or Gold Rush. Gaming Realms, the creator of the game, has licensed the popularity of Deal or No Deal’s name to generate interest in the game.

One common licensing deal in football is EA Sports FC™, with clubs and player likenesses taken from the Premier League, the EFL, Bundesliga, and more.

 

Two Purchases in One

When it comes to officially licensed products, you’re buying two things for the price of one.

The first thing is the actual object, whether it’s a mug, a t-shirt, or bedding. The second is a small payment to the club that helps towards upgrading the stadium, transfer funds, and so forth.

As fans, it’s a win-win for us. We get a product from our club, and our club gets the reward in doing so.

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