Solana Meme Coin Maneki Announces Sponsorship Deal With English Football Club Sheffield United

Solana-based Maneki (MANEKI) and Sky Bet Championship team Sheffield United unveiled the first-ever football shirt sponsorship featuring a meme coin.

Solana cat meme coin Maneki has announced a sponsorship deal with English Football League side Sheffield United to become the first-ever meme coin to sponsor a football shirt.

Solana-based meme coin Maneki (MANEKI) has joined forces with Sky Bet Championship team Sheffield United to unveil the first-ever football shirt sponsorship featuring a meme coin.

According to a public statement on Oct. 17, MANEKI’s cat emblem will be displayed prominently on the Blades’ jerseys, starting Oct. 18.

This move will expose the Solana meme coin to over 32,000 fans at Bramall Lane, one of football’s oldest functioning stadiums, and hundreds of thousands of sports enthusiasts across England.

We're proud to announce MANEKI as the Principal Partner and official shirt sponsor of Sheffield United for the 2024/25 season!

The MANEKI logo will feature prominently on the Blades' iconic red and white shirts, starting tomorrow against Leeds United on Sky Sports Main Event.

Launched in mid-May, Maneki has over 73,000 holders, and its 8.88 billion token supply is valued at $65 million on the Solana (SOL) DEX. Despite the news of the Sheffield United partnership, the meme coin traded slightly down on Monday.

However, according to DEX Screener, MANEKI’s price has surged over 67% in the past seven days. 24-hour MANEKI price chart - Oct. 17 (DEX Screener)

Sheffield United’s agreement with the SOL meme coin comes as the English Football Association banned betting companies from team sponsorships.

This move has opened the door for crypto projects to fill this gap, claiming prime marketing spots in one of the world’s largest sporting industries.

As previously reported by Cointelegraph, web3 firms and startups have splurged a record $170 million on deals with Premier League and British clubs.

In a world where meme coins like Maneki can quickly reach tens of millions in market capitalization and thousands of users in a matter of months, this crypto-Premier League sponsorship trend may experience sustained growth.

As adoption increases, more Solana-based meme coins may also target promotional agreements with sports entities. Notably, Wintermute reported that meme coins comprised over 40% of Solana’s entire trading volume.