Key facts
- Just Eat has ended its £40 million-a-year Champions League sponsorship deal one year ahead of schedule.
- The decision led to the redundancy of most of Just Eat's sponsorship team.
- Hyundai will take over as the Champions League's official automotive partner earlier than anticipated.
- Haier, a Chinese electronics and home appliances manufacturer, will also become a Champions League sponsor next season.
- Just Eat will continue its sponsorships of the Europa League and Conference League.
Just Eat has prematurely ended its £40 million-a-year sponsorship of the Champions League, a move that coincided with the company significantly reducing its sponsorship department. The food delivery provider made all but two of its sponsorship team redundant at the beginning of September.
European football's governing body, Uefa, has had to bring forward a partnership with Hyundai to fill the gap left by Just Eat. The Korean car manufacturer will become the official automotive partner of the Champions League, with its deal set to run from the 2027-31 cycle, but will now commence earlier than planned.
Just Eat's involvement with Uefa began in 2021 and was renewed in 2024, granting it top-tier partner status across all Uefa club competitions. Despite exiting the Champions League deal, Just Eat will continue its sponsorships for the Europa League and Conference League this season.
UC3, a joint venture between Uefa and European Football Clubs responsible for managing the competition's commercial rights, brokered Hyundai's early entry. Relevent Football Partners is handling sales for UC3 for the upcoming 2027-31 cycle, which also includes Chinese manufacturer Haier joining as a Champions League sponsor.