In business for less than a decade, Castore now accounts for one in six kit sponsorship deals in the UK and is ahead of global giants Adidas, Puma and Nike in terms of deal volume. The British sportswear brand has high-profile partnerships in the UK with Red Bull Racing, Everton FC, Rangers FC, the England and Wales Cricket Board, and Andy Murray.  

According to Ampere’s analysis of 2000 UK partnership deals across the Premier League, EFL Championship, Formula 1, English Premiership, and the ECB, Castore has been the fastest grower by volume of deals in the UK sports apparel sector over the past three years. Yet in terms of the deal value, it has so far avoided vying for the largest deals and has invested cautiously: Ampere estimates that it represents less than 5% of the total spend from kit suppliers in the UK Instead, Castore has selectively targeted a broad range of assets to support a more cost-conscious approach to sponsorship, offering customers retail and eCommerce solutions as well as kits and apparel.

However, in June 2024, Castore signed a 'club-record' deal with Everton FC worth more than £20m a year, more than double the previous deal with Hummel. In addition, having completed a sub-licensing deal with Umbro earlier this year, Castore has the exclusive right to manage Umbro’s English Premier League team partnerships from the 2024/25 season, giving it exclusive rights to seek to work with Umbro’s existing English Premier League team partnerships, including AFC Bournemouth, Brentford, Ipswich Town, Luton Town, and West Ham.

In overseas markets, while Castore trails giants like Nike, Adidas, and Puma, it has also begun to sponsor major European football teams such as Bayer Leverkusen, FC Twente, and Sevilla FC and opened its first store in mainland Europe. It also has seven deals with cricket teams worldwide, as well as with high-profile athletes including Murray and swimmer Adam Peaty which has increased its brand reach and credibility. 

To date the strategy seems to be paying off: Castore’s revenues grew from £49m in 2022 to £115m in 2023, while the firm doubled its profits in the period, even before its latest expansion in the market.