The name of troubled Bristol firm Huboo will be removed from the shirts of Bristol City’s footballers and Bristol Bears’ rugby players after Bristol Sport said it had ended its sponsorship deal with the firm.
The Ashton Gate-based sports firm said Huboo had ‘failed to fulfil the terms of the sponsorship agreement’ and its name would be taken off the shirts of both men’s and women’s football and rugby shirts immediately.
New sponsors for the kits will be unveiled on Friday ahead of the weekend’s games, and are understood to be in place until the end of the season.
Huboo and Bristol Sport entered into a landmark deal almost exactly three years ago in February 2022, when all four teams, plus Bristol Flyers basketball team, were sponsored by Huboo in a multi-million deal that was the first of its kind in Bristol, with the same business sponsoring all of Bristol Sport’s teams.
The Flyers’ switched to Watches of Bath last September, but the Bears and City are well into their fourth season with Huboo as a sponsor. Huboo describes itself as a ‘fulfilment provider’ – essentially, it helps online businesses pack and deliver products around the world.
The firm, which expanded rapidly after it was set up in 2017, recently opened a large facility next to the M4 at Chippenham, and has its base in Corn Street in the centre of Bristol. But just before Christmas, the company suddenly hit the financial rocks. Its founders and managers appointed administrators and the firm was sold to investors, which saved it from collapse.
But that deal appears to have caused problems for the sponsorship at Ashton Gate, and Bristol Sport has called time on the deal after three years.
“Bristol Sport has ended its partnership with Huboo after the company failed to fulfil the terms of the sponsorship agreement,” said a spokesperson for Bristol Sport. “In December 2024 Huboo appointed administrators and its business and assets were sold,” he added.
Bristol Sport’s chief executive Gavin Marshall said the decision would be effective immediately. “Huboo will now be replaced on the front of the match shirts for Bristol City and Bristol Bears men and women’s teams with immediate effect,” he said. “We look forward to announcing our new front of shirt partners for the remainder of the season ahead of this weekend’s fixtures,” he added.
No one from Huboo was available for comment on Thursday evening, February 13.