United's 5 shirt sponsors in 134 year history

In the history of football, few teams have the brand recognition of Manchester United. Founded in 1878 has become one of the most valuable and powerful sports brands in the world. Thanks to sustained success for well over a century, as well as several popular players, Man United draws sell out crowds wherever it goes. This gives the club an immense level of brand recognition, though few companies have had the distinction of being the shirt sponsor over the course of its illustrious history.

1) SHARP
 The first to get the ball rolling was Sharp Electronics. Manufacturers of home electronics, they reached out to one of the most powerful and popular clubs in order to increase their brand recognition. For the cost of £500,000, Sharp was able to start a long and fruitful relationship that lasted until the 1999-2000 season.

2) VODAPHONE
Vodafone quickly signed on to be the next shirt sponsor. For £30 million, Britain’s top mobile phone provider was able to have the distinction of being part of one of the sport’s most valuable brands. After a brief extension, Vodafone severed ties to concentrate on its promotional drive with Premiere League sponsorship as a whole.

3) AIG
American Insurance Groups, or AIG, quickly stepped in with a four-year £56.5 million deal to become the latest sponsor. The most lucrative shirt sponsorship in the world at the time, the deal was not extended after the four year contract. Economic troubles at the time lead to Manchester United looking to find a more stable partner.

4) AON
AON, a reinsurance company, continued the trend of American firms throwing a lot of money at the club to be its shirt sponsor. Worth approximately £80 million, the deal was the most valuable and costly at the time and was set to last for four years. With those four years up, a new company has stepped forward to try to set a new record.

5) CHEVROLET
Recently, Chevrolet became the latest shirt sponsor to tap into this incredible popularity and potential. Starting with the 2014 season, the car manufacturer, owned by General Motors, will have their brand broadcast to the world during each match for some time. The company had already been sponsoring Manchester United as their official vehicle partner.

Artists Impression! 

While the monetary compensation has not been released, Chevrolet is set to be the shirt sponsor for the next seven years. This will mark the longest sponsorship deal for Manchester United since Sharp Electronics. With the club continuing to be one of the most public and well known in the world, it should be money well spent for the car manufacturer.