Bayern Munich secures a sponsorship agreement with Emirates Airlines

Bayern Munich Shifts Middle Eastern Sponsorship to Emirates

Bayern Munich, the German football powerhouse, has announced a new long-term partnership with Emirates, the airline owned and operated by the United Arab Emirates. This move marks a significant shift in the club's sponsorship history with Middle Eastern airlines, following the termination of its previous deal with Qatar Airways.

Historically, Bayern Munich had a sponsorship deal with Qatar Airways, which ended about two years ago amid fan backlash and protests targeting Qatar's human rights issues. The association terminated not due to changes in Bayern's leadership views but reportedly because Qatar chose not to renew the contract.

In August 2025, Bayern Munich announced a new long-term sponsorship deal with Emirates, marking the airline’s return to German football after some years and replacing Qatar Airways as a major Middle Eastern airline partner. This Emirates partnership is a Platinum Partnership that runs for seven years, from the 2025-26 season through the end of the 2031-32 season.

Key features of the Emirates-Bayern Munich partnership include:

Perimeter advertising at Bayern's Allianz Arena during all Bundesliga match days.
Joint marketing activations on both Bayern’s and Emirates’ social and digital platforms.
Prominent visibility via LED boards, premium pitch cam carpets, a dedicated Emirates skybox, and branding in club TV backdrops during press conferences and interviews.
No shirt sponsorship deal; Deutsche Telekom remains Bayern’s primary kit sponsor.
Exclusive ticket and hospitality allocations as part of the agreement.

Officials highlighted financial planning security and the global connectivity Emirates brings to Bayern fans worldwide as significant benefits. Emirates also called this partnership a commitment to Germany as a core part of its European network, aligning with Bayern Munich’s internationalization strategy.

While Emirates’ partnership was welcomed officially, critics voiced disappointment about continuing sponsorship ties with Middle Eastern airlines given previous controversies. The UAE has been criticized for criminalizing the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and for using prolonged solitary confinement against prisoners in the mass trial of Emirati dissidents as a means of coercion and punishment.

Despite these concerns, the new partnership between Bayern Munich and Emirates emphasizes broad brand exposure without taking the kit sponsorship spot. Emirates now sits in the "platinum" tier in Bayern Munich's family of partners, just beneath the "main partners." FC Bayern's family of partners includes long-term deals with Adidas, Allianz, Audi, Deutsche Telekom, and other firms.

The agreement between Bayern Munich and Emirates is similar to the one with Visit Rwanda, encompassing pitchside advertising and joint activations on social and digital channels. Other partners in the "platinum" tier include betting site Betano, crypto platform Bitpanda, and Visit Rwanda, among others.

As Bayern Munich moves forward with its new partnership, the club continues to balance the financial advantages of such deals with the concerns of its fan base and human rights advocates.

Summary table:

| Airline | Partnership Period | Nature of Deal | Key Details | Notes | |-----------------|------------------------------|------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------| | Qatar Airways | Until ~2023 (ended ~2 years ago) | Shirt sponsorship and/or sponsorship (precise details not thoroughly covered in sources) | Ended after fan backlash/protests regarding Qatar's image | Terminated reportedly by Qatar | | Emirates | 2025-26 to 2031-32 | Platinum Partner (non-shirt sponsor) | Perimeter stadium ads, digital activations, skybox, LED boards | Long-term, major visibility but no kit sponsorship |

The new partnership between Bayern Munich and Emirates aligns with the club's internationalization strategy, as it falls in the European league and operates extensively across Africa and the Middle East.
Amid criticism of Middle Eastern airlines' human rights issues, the Emirates-Bayern Munich partnership has been established, embracing perimeter advertising, digital activations, and a dedicated skybox, while avoiding a shirt sponsorship deal.
In contrast to the previous sponsorship with Qatar Airways, the agreement with Emirates continues Bayern Munich's pursuit of partnerships within European leagues, seeking to foster global connections with fans across Europe, Africa, and beyond.