Chelsea FC finally have a front of shirt sponsor in the form of IFS, at least until the end of this season.

I’ll admit I’d never heard of IFS (so the sponsorship has already achieved something) but they “provide industrial AI and software for businesses that manufacture, service, and manage complex assets” in industries like aerospace, defence, construction, energy, manufacturing and telecoms.

The average Chelsea fan clearly isn’t the target audience here, but 51% of global decision-makers in those industries do follow the Premier League, and 84% follow football.

So, a partnership with a prominent EPL team looks like a fairly smart play for engaging this B2B audience. The London location and hospitality options won’t do any harm either.

For a B2B or tech business, a big benefit of a sports partnership is also in the storytelling platform. The ability to showcase your technology or service in an environment that makes for an exciting case study, and something that potential customers in other industries are going to be interested to hear about.

IFS has also recently struck deals with Sri Lanka Cricket and Cadillac F1, to add to partnerships in rugby, golf, skiing, cycling and more. Clearly a business that sees sport as a powerful platform for supporting its growth ambitions.