Doug Wade (@dougwade.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy)

Sounders are now looking for a new front-of-shirt sponsor The Seattle Sounders and Providence will end their front-of-shirt sponsorship agreement at the conclusion of the 2027 “sprint” season, the team announced on Thursday. That’s about six years earlier than the original term of the agreement, which was signed in 2023 and was expected to run for 10 years at an annual cost "in the high seven-figures;" likely close to $100 million in total. The agreement was later revealed to also include naming rights of the Sounders’ training facility at Longacres. That part of the deal will remain, Sounder at Heart confirmed, as the facility will continue to officially be called the Providence Swedish Performance Center & Clubhouse through 2033. It was not immediately clear how much money Providence will continue to pay the Sounders, but it is likely at least $10 million after the shirt sponsorship ends in 2027. The two Renton-based organizations will also continue to work together on player health and community initiatives.“As our organizations look ahead, this moment represents a thoughtful and intentional evolution,” Sounders President of Business Operations Hugh Webber said in a team release. “We’re incredibly grateful for Providence’s leadership and the tangible difference we’ve made together in our community. This transition allows both organizations to remain focused on their core priorities while honoring the strength of what we’ve built.”While not what either side planned, the news is likely to be welcome from multiple angles.When the Sounders first announced the partnership, <a href="https://www.sounderatheart.com/2023/01/why-are-sounders-fans-so-mad-about-the-teams-newest-sponsor/" rel="noreferrer">it was met with intense criticism</a> from fans that even included a rebukes from both ECS and the Alliance Council. Providence’s Catholic-based health system has come under scrutiny for its reproductive and gender care and was also embroiled in <a href="https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-providence-must-provide-1578-million-refunds-and-debt-relief" rel="noreferrer">controversy over billing</a>.The decision to end the sponsorship likely had little to do with that, though. Providence’s <a href="https://www.chronline.com/stories/providence-freezes-some-hiring-cuts-spending-as-new-ceo-warns-of-economic-headwinds,379162?#:~:text=Providence%20also%20reorganized%20some%20departments,home%20health%20and%20hospice%20services." rel="noreferrer">CEO told employees</a> about nine months ago that they were getting out of the sports sponsorship business. The Sounders are their most expansive sponsorship, but they also have other deals such as the naming rights at the Portland Timbers' Providence Park.The Sounders will now have two years to find a new front-of-shirt sponsor, which will be available at the same time the MLS calendar switches to summer-spring in 2027-28. https://www.sounderatheart.com/2026/01/sounders-are-now-looking-for-a-new-front-of-shirt-sponsor/