San Diego FC announced today a multi-year agreement with DIRECTV, punctuated by DIRECTV appearing on the front of the Club’s first-ever jersey. DIRECTV will appear across the front of SDFC’s primary and secondary jerseys for all games beginning with the club’s inaugural 2025 Major League Soccer season.
The official jerseys, featuring DIRECTV’s first-ever foray into kit sponsorship in MLS, will launch ahead of the 2025 MLS season. SDFC jerseys with the DIRECTV brand across the chest and other related merchandise will be available at Eighteen Threads, the Club’s official retail store.
The “Chrome Club” sponsorship includes elements exclusive to DIRECTV, including content features, interior and exterior stadium branding, extensive TV-visible signage inside Snapdragon Stadium, and the opportunity to create co-branded retail promotions. In addition, the deal makes DIRECTV the official video entertainment provider for various SDFC venues, including the SDFC Performance Center in El Cajon and SDFC’s Global Headquarters in Little Italy.
As a leading distributor and aggregator of sports content for 30 years and headquartered in Southern California, DIRECTV's collaboration with San Diego FC represents a natural alignment of values and goals. The partnership brings together two California brands that share a commitment to excellence and innovation and are dedicated to fostering a strong sense of community and delivering exceptional experiences to sports fans.
“DIRECTV is honored to be such an integral part of the fabric of the San Diego Football Club family,” said Vince Torres, chief marketing officer of DIRECTV. “This extensive sponsorship will allow us to join with the club at its infancy in meaningful ways and marry SDFC's passion for soccer with our desire to reach the millions of fervent soccer fans in San Diego and nationally.”
This sponsorship will also bring benefits to San Diego FC and MLS fans across the country through activations with the team, in-venue at Snapdragon Stadium, within the San Diego community and throughout MLS. To further engage with the SDFC fanbase, DIRECTV intends to extend exclusive product offers and invitations to special events, as well as sponsor unique SDFC-themed contests and sweepstakes through DIRECTV Perks, starting with an opportunity to win a trip to meet international Mexican star and SDFC Designated Player Hirving “Chucky” Lozano at a PSV Eindhoven match. More details will be announced at a later date.
Community outreach will feature programs such as SDFC’s Summer of Soccer watch party series campaign, support for local nonprofits like Ronald McDonald House Charities, and support for local active military and veterans.
“San Diego FC is honored to collaborate with DIRECTV, a company with deep California roots,” said SDFC CEO Tom Penn. “This historic sponsorship, which includes our first official jersey sponsor, highlights our commitment to bringing impassioned experiences to our fans and demonstrates our dedication to integrating with the San Diego community through a brand in our backyard that shares similar values and a similar vision. We are confident DIRECTV’s impact will enhance the fan experience both in the stadium and throughout San Diego.”
As a leader in sports content distribution, DIRECTV for Business makes MLS Season Pass available on Apple TV available to over 300,000 bars, restaurants and other commercial establishments across the country.
DIRECTV has previously demonstrated a deep connection to soccer through the DIRECTV Soccer Champions Tour set to kick off year two on July 27, the value in showing up as a jersey patch sponsor for the USA Baseball’s team in the 2023 World Series Baseball Classic, and a commitment to supporting sports in the San Diego community through the DIRECTV Holiday Bowl.
Legends, a global premium experiences company, led sourcing and negotiating the sponsorship between San Diego FC and DIRECTV.
