Starbucks has signed a sponsorship deal with French top-division football club Toulouse Football Club, placing its logo on the sleeve of the men's professional team's jersey in what is the company's first such partnership on a football shirt.

Sleeve sponsorship has become a staple of the commercial landscape in European football, giving brands recurring visibility on kits worn across league and cup fixtures. For Starbucks, the agreement marks a first step onto a football shirt and a way of extending the in-store experience it is known for into live sport.

Toulouse, also known as Téfécé, won the Coupe de France in the 2022-2023 season and finished ninth in the 18-team French Ligue 1 last season.

According to the club, the sponsorship will be accompanied by "a comprehensive activation program" designed to bring the Starbucks experience to life for the team's supporters.

Anaïs Dezoteux, Marketing Director of Starbucks France, said the world of sport can create unique opportunities for a brand like Starbucks.

"Coffee has always been at the heart of Starbucks, with the belief that a cup can create a genuine moment of connection. This experience comes to life every day in our stores, thanks to our baristas who create these moments of sharing with our customers," she said.

"With TéFéCé, we want to go even further by imagining new ways to bring coffee and the Starbucks experience to life in a world as unifying as football. This partnership is a fantastic platform for innovation and creativity, allowing us to extend the experience beyond our stores, create unique experiences, and imagine, with our baristas and fans, new moments of connection around coffee."

Olivier Cloarec, President of Toulouse Football Club, said: "We are extremely proud to partner with Starbucks. It's an iconic brand, recognised worldwide, and its choice to associate itself with our club and our identity is a fantastic recognition of the growing appeal and influence of TéFéCé.

"It's also a first for Starbucks, appearing on a football club's jersey for the first time, which makes the partnership even more special for us. We are thrilled to write this new chapter together and share this adventure with our community."

As the company's first appearance on a football shirt, the rollout of the club's promised activation program will offer the first indication of how Starbucks' store-centred experience translates to a matchday setting and its supporters.

Source: Global Coffee Report