From the start, Revolut has positioned itself as an alternative, innovative approach to banking. It’s a philosophy that runs so deeply through the brand’s operations that it naturally extends to its approach to sponsorships.
Rather than simply placing logos on kits or billboards, Revolut focuses on creating meaningful connections with customers, bringing the brand to life through experiences that tap into their passions and cultural moments.
Leading this approach is Deborah Wajsbrot, associate director, head of growth partnerships at Revolut, who oversees how the company selects partners and activates collaborations that reflect its values of ambition, performance and disruption.
Revolut’s recent expansion of its partnership with Manchester City perfectly embodies this mindset. The multi-year deal sees Revolut become a global partner and the official back-of-shirt sponsor for both the men’s and women’s first teams.
The move builds on the company’s existing relationship with Manchester City Women, and represents a step up in the brand’s engagement with one of the world’s most high-profile clubs.
Under the new agreement, the Revolut logo will feature on the men’s team shirts for domestic cup matches, women’s team shirts for Women’s Super League (WSL) and cup fixtures and selected training wear.
Beyond the branding, the partnership reflects Revolut’s broader approach to sponsorship to create activations that feel authentic, relevant and integrated into fans’ experiences.
For Wajsbrot, the principle is “Logos don’t win hearts. Experiences do.” By choosing partners who share the brand’s mindset and offering fans tangible ways to engage, Revolut ensures that each collaboration delivers both impact and connection.
This mindset underpins the bank’s wider sponsorship strategy, where global ambitions are balanced with local relevance, and every partnership is designed to build a cohesive ecosystem that strengthens the brand while deepening relationships with customers across markets.
Choosing a partner with shared values
The core objective of the partnership is to position Revolut as a high performing lifestyle brand that connects customers with their passions, enhancing their everyday journey beyond traditional banking, according to Wajsbrot.
That ambition is rooted in the idea of “showing up in moments that matter culturally”, which is why the partnership with Manchester City was chosen.
It gives the digital bank a platform to actively support the game, work to grow the sport, celebrate its athletes and deepen fan experiences.
“When selecting partnerships, we look for global stakeholders that will drive our international growth, but also local partners that will provide a deeper connection with the local community – our portfolio needs to have the right balance between global and local impact,” Wajsbrot says.
She notes Manchester City reflects that balance, combining global reach with deep local community roots: “That makes them [Manchester City] an ideal partner as we continue to grow towards our 100 million customer goal while resonating locally with our customers.”
The decision to partner with Manchester City also comes off the back of the success of the existing partnership between Revolut and Manchester City Women’s team.
In January 2025, Revolut become the global partner of the women’s team, marking its first investment in women’s football. As part of the agreement, the Revolut brand features on the training kit sleeve of Manchester City Women, while captain Alex Greenwood became a Revolut ambassador, solidifying its presence on and off the pitch.
Wajsbrot notes that the choice to partner with City Women was based on a “natural fit”, as both organisations are challengers at heart, valuing ambition, disruption and a commitment to raising standards in their respective fields. That shared mindset helped create a strong foundation for the partnership from the outset
The success of that alignment, and the results seen from the initial activation, ultimately led to an expanded partnership across both teams at the club.
“Having tested and scaled the partnership already with the women’s team, and having experienced first-hand the natural alignment of our brands, it was a no-brainer for us to expand the partnership to the men’s team as well,” she adds.
Turning fan passion into experience
Building on the experience from the Women’s team partnership, Revolut is now well equipped to ensure that this new collaboration delivers activations that genuinely resonate with Manchester City’s fans.
Wajsbrot notes that fans engage most naturally with brands when activations enhance their experience and connect with their passion points.
“Because Manchester City is deeply rooted in the Manchester community and UK culture, activations must balance that local identity with the excitement of a global fanbase,” she says.
Previous activations demonstrate this approach in action. These have included an Etihad Stadium takeover, where Revolut used a half-time break to unveil the world’s largest Revolut card and selected one fan to receive a collection of exclusive prizes, including a private training session, a signed shirt, £1,000, and a Euro watch party hosted in the centre of Manchester. Each activation has centred on showing that direct engagement delivers real impact.
“We fuel fan passion with activations and exclusive prizes, like giveaways of signed player jerseys and on-field player interactions,” she says. “By doing this, we connect with customers by contributing to build special moments in their lives, ensuring we’re part of their fan journey.”
Creating these connections is a key part of Revolut’s strategy, as its ambition is to integrate the brand and its products into the club experience in a way that goes far beyond simply putting a logo on a shirt.
“We really believe in the principle that ‘Logos don’t win hearts. Experiences do’,” she says.
Therefore, true integration means moving beyond visibility to product and lifestyle utility, she explains.
“This also means integrating Revolut into the heart of fan experiences at the club, ensuring City fans enjoy the same fast, seamless and rewarding interaction with their football club as they do with their finances.”
This integration extends beyond fans, too. Revolut is bringing Revolut Business into the club’s financial infrastructure, streamlining operations through Revolut Pay checkouts and terminals across the stadium, while also enabling fans to earn RevPoints and access exclusive discounts at various club touchpoints.
The launch of four co-branded virtual cards further supports this integration, creating a lifestyle synergy that links fans’ passion for Manchester City with their daily financial tools.
Building a connected ecosystem of partnerships
Revolut’s expanded partnership with Manchester City is just one example within its broader roster of sponsorships, which span a variety of sports and geographies. Despite this diversity, there is a common thread across all these collaborations that Revolut chooses partners who can act as global ambassadors for the brand’s values.
Wajsbrot explains that this starts with alignment on performance, ambition and mindset. When selecting partners, Revolut looks for organisations that share its drive for high performance, infinite ambition and a willingness to challenge the status quo.
“We have a culture of ‘never settling,’ so the unifying brand story has to be about that: pushing boundaries and striving for the impossible,” she says.
This shared mindset allows Revolut to integrate brand storytelling with functional product experiences. Partnering with top-tier organisations with the same DNA helps the brand build emotional connections with customers, giving them opportunities to interact with Revolut products firsthand whether that’s using Revolut Pay at checkout, paying with Revolut terminals or using a co-branded card featuring their club’s identity.
“Every partnership must tell an authentic story that makes sense for the sport, ensuring the functional tools feel like a natural enhancement rather than noise,” she says.
At the same time, Revolut is also acutely aware of the importance of local relevance.
“While major rights holders like Manchester City, NBA and F1 drive our international growth goals, we also commit to deep local relevance through partners like Como 1907, ensuring we meet customers both on the world stage and in their local communities,” she adds.
The goal is to speak the language of local customers, connecting them to the cultural moments they care about whether that is the Manchester derby or the Melbourne Grand Prix.
“We combine global and local partnerships to deliver comprehensive, 360° audience journeys,” Wajsbrot says.
She notes that making this work requires alignment between global and local teams, ensuring that sponsorship strategies are activated cohesively rather than in silos.
By treating each partnership as part of a single interconnected ecosystem rather than separate projects, Wajsbrot ensures that every collaboration delivers meaningful, authentic engagement while reinforcing the brand’s values across markets.
This approach allows Revolut to create experiences that feel seamless and relevant, whether on a global stage or within local communities. From world-class clubs to community-focused teams, each partnership contributes to a coherent story where brand, product and fan engagement intersect, turning every activation into an opportunity to connect with customers in ways that are both emotional and practical.