What Stan Kroenke’s enforcers have just done in America is big sign of things to come at Arsenal

Add as preferred source on Google

Stan Kroenke is moving to bring Arsenal more closely into the fold of his wider sports empire.

The billionaire, 78, controls a sports and property portfolio worth almost £16bn encompassing the Los Angeles Rams (NFL), Denver Nuggets (NBA), Colorado Avalanche (NHL) and Colorado Rapids (MLS).

Arsenal became Kroenke Sports & Entertainment’s first European sports investment way back in 2007, with Stan Kroenke incrementally increasing his stake until 2018, when he took 100 per cent control.

At present, football finance analysts from the likes of Forbes, Sportico and Football Benchmark value the Gunners at around £3.5bn, meaning Kroenke will almost certainly at least triple his circa £1bn investment in the club when he does finally decide to cash in.

But while Arsenal’s stock ticker continues to trend up and to the right, they remain the only major team yet to win their most prestigious title under KSE ownership.

Under Mikel Arteta, the club are determined to change that this season.

Around £250m was spent in the summer to establish the squad depth they believe can sustain a challenge for both the Premier League and the Champions League until the closing throes of the season.

For fans at the Emirates, it’s about glory. But while that would be a welcome bonus for KSE, the revenue boom that would be catalysed by major silverware is the real prize.

Commercially, the club is going from strength to strength, but KSE – whose main representative in North London is now Josh Kroenke – are not resting on their laurels.

• READ MORE: Staggering cost of Arsenal injuries revealed as Martin Odegaard’s MCL adds to £275m problem

Kroenke-owned Colorado Avalanche in marketing stunt that hints at what’s next for Arsenal

The Kroenkes have made several moves to integrate Arsenal further into the wider KSE structure of late.

September’s boardroom reshuffle, for example, saw one long-time Kroenke lieutenant in Tim Lewis leave the club, but he was replaced by three more KSE stalwarts in David Steiner, Otto Maly and Kelly Blaha.

That move followed the creation of Kroenke Signature Properties in January, a new KSE department designed to sell shared sponsorships across the entire portfolio.

The LA Rams’ new commercial partnership with Visit Rwanda has been its landmark deal to date. The Gunners are set to announce an extension of their own deal with sleeve sponsor Visit Rwanda imminently.

And in KSE’s latest commercial stunt, players for Kroenke’s ice hockey franchise Colorado Avalanche recently attended an LA Rams match decked out in the merchandise of the NFL side.

The incident has caused some backlash among Avalanche fans given that the match in question saw the Rams face Denver Broncos, who come from the same state as Avalanche with a lot of overlapping support.

But it is the type of marketing that Arsenal fans should expect to see more of as their team is further merged with the wider Kroenke empire.

• READ MORE: Arsenal set to smash £400m barrier for the very first time with new Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber contracts

Gunners earned £218m in commercial revenue

At the last count, Arsenal’s income from sponsorship, merchandise and non-football events at the Emirates Stadium totalled £218m.

However, that figure is from 2023-24, the last year for which the club’s full accounts have been published.

Once the 2024-25 books are released in the spring, commercial revenue is expected to have risen again.

The football finance analyst Greg Cordell conservatively forecasts that they will surpass the £240m mark, and most experts TBR Football speaks to predict another big rise this season.

Based on the latest dataset, that would take Arsenal to 5th in the Premier League, behind the two Manchester clubs, Tottenham and Liverpool.

Under Kroenke’s self-funding model, every penny the club earns through sponsorships or shirt sales is another for the budget available to Arteta and Andrea Berta.