The 8 sponsors of the UEFA Champions League: How many millions do they spend each season?

The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is arguably the biggest football event the world over. Only the FIFA World Cup and UEFA's European Championship can rival this premier club competition. The UCL draws fans and followership from all countries of the world, making it a universal brand. With millions watching each of the 93 games in the Champions League every season, its status as the leading footballing competition is unperturbed. 

Though, for such reach, coordination and influence, there are some big-name sponsors who put everything together. From finances to the organisation and to marketing, the big companies are the sponsors of the UEFA Champions League. Hand in hand with UEFA, they call the shots and more importantly, spend the money that gets the balls rolling. 

At the top of the list of UEFA Champions League sponsors is Heineken. The beverage company has become synonymous with the premier club competition and is often seen as the primary sponsor of the competition. Also, MasterCard and PlayStation are two other A-list sponsors of the UEFA Champions League. The payment system company and the video games entertainment company have supported the competition for almost a decade now. 

The 5 other sponsors of the UEFA Champions League are Lay's, FedEx, Gazprom, Hotels.com, and Just Eat Takeaway.com. These sponsors are like the non-permanent members of the group of 8 behind the UEFA Champions League. FedEx, Lay's and Hotels.com are some of the newer sponsors of the competition within the last 5 years. 

In terms of the amount each company puts in for sponsorship, the figures are usually held secret and no one really knows. However, it is expected that each company would earmark up to £100m per season in sponsorship fees to cater for the huge expenses, amounting up to £1bn, of the UEFA Champions League. Conversely, these companies turn a profit on their huge spending as their name and services are projected to all parts of the world.