When the 2023/24 season kicks off on Friday 11 August 2023 fans will see a change to the shirt names, numbers and sleeve badges.
Avery Dennison, the Premier League’s official name, number and sleeve badge supplier, has revealed the newly designed font and embellishments which will feature on next season’s Premier League shirts.
The global materials science and digital identification solutions company has worked in partnership with the Premier League on the new font, which is only the fourth redesign in Premier League history.
An increase in the number height and the integration of the Premier League’s unique graphic pattern ensures the new font has increased visibility and more impact both on and off the pitch.
In addition to the name and number change, the Premier League sleeve badge has been redesigned for the upcoming season to a standalone iconic Premier League lion.
This design will be replicated in gold for the “Champions” badge worn by the 2022/23 season’s title-winning team.
Avery Dennison, the official supplier to the Premier League since 2019, documents the story behind the font change in a video, which includes on-pitch testing involving Premier League commentators Martin Tyler, Jim Proudfoot and Joe Speight, at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium.
Will Brass, Chief Commercial Officer at the Premier League, said: “We wanted to work closely with Avery Dennison, using their expertise and experience to create new names and numbers which were not only clearer for those watching matches in stadiums or at home, but which also incorporated the Premier League brand more readily.
“The names and numbers have become part of the fabric of the Premier League. For fans, having the name and number of a favourite player, their own name or even a personal message helps to bring them closer to the competition and their favourite clubs.”
“The names and numbers have become part of the fabric of the Premier League”
Simon Allen, EU aftermarket commercial director, Apparel Solutions, Avery Dennison, said: “The beauty of the Premier League is that it creates era-defining names and numbers. It is very rare that the design itself changes, so it is an honour for the team at Avery Dennison to have been part of that process.
“The request was for the new design to be an evolution rather than a revolution. With many components to be considered, such as legibility, durability and readability, we also needed to keep sight of the Premier League branding. Through everything, we wanted to ensure that what we put on the pitch keeps the fans in the stadium and watching at home at the heart of it.”
With Avery Dennison’s sustainability credentials at the forefront of the manufacturing process, the names, numbers and sleeve badges are produced at its factory in Western Norway, powered by renewable energy from a nearby glacier.
With printing and robotics technology in place to reduce waste, the Premier League embellishments are printed on a thin and digital layer, using a digitised process to determine the placement of the transfers and ensure the best utilisation of the sheet, ensuring minimal waste.
The new names, numbers and sleeve badges will be available from spring onwards, following the launch of each Premier League club’s kits for the 2023/24 season.