Deel strikes multi-year deal with Arsenal as tech firm enters global sport
HR platform to streamline club operations as reports point to future sleeve sponsorship.
Deel, the Israeli-founded HR and payroll platform valued at $17.3 billion, has made its most visible push into global consumer recognition by signing a multi-year partnership with Arsenal, becoming the Premier League club’s Official HR Platform Partner. The agreement, announced Friday, places Deel’s branding across the Emirates Stadium and Arsenal’s digital channels, extending to all home fixtures in the Premier League, Women’s Super League, FA Cup and League Cup.
While the club has only confirmed the HR partnership, reporting indicates a separate agreement is in place for Deel to take over Arsenal’s shirt-sleeve sponsorship from the 2026-27 season, replacing Visit Rwanda once that deal expires.
For Deel, the move marks its first major foray into world sport, and comes amid a period of rapid expansion, executive reshuffling, and mounting expectations of an eventual public offering. In October, the company raised a $300 million Series E round that pushed its valuation to $17.3 billion, following a $300 million secondary transaction earlier this year. The company now supports more than 37,000 organizations, processes $22 billion in annual payroll and, in September, recorded its first $100 million revenue month.
Arsenal will also use Deel’s HR platform internally to manage personnel and operations across the organization.
Alex Bouaziz, Deel’s co-founder and CEO, framed the partnership as a reflection of the company’s global scale. “Arsenal is one of the most iconic clubs in world sport,” he said, adding that the collaboration “places Deel at the heart of global football” and comes as the company accelerates its international growth strategy.
The company’s ascent has not been without friction. Its ongoing legal battle with rival Rippling, involving allegations of racketeering and trade-secret theft, which Deel denies, is unfolding alongside its accelerated expansion into global markets.
