AC Milan imports Premier League commercial expertise to scale a new revenue era
AC Milan has hired a veteran commercial executive from Manchester United as it looks to convert recent on-field and financial progress into a more durable global revenue platform. The move underscores how elite European clubs are increasingly raiding Premier League organizations for the commercial know-how needed to compete in sponsorship, partnerships, and digital monetization.
AC Milan is making a clear statement about where it intends to compete next: not only on the pitch, but in the global marketplace. The club has appointed a longtime Manchester United commercial executive as senior commercial director, a move designed to sharpen its partnerships strategy and accelerate revenue growth during one of the strongest financial periods in its recent history.
The hire brings in deep experience from one of football’s most commercially advanced brands. After nearly nine years leading global partnerships at Manchester United, the executive arrives at Milan with responsibility for partnerships and sales across the club’s commercial operation. The mandate is straightforward: turn Milan’s growing brand value into more scalable, higher-margin income streams.
He will report to the club’s chief revenue officer, reinforcing a leadership structure that has been steadily rebuilt to support a more sophisticated commercial model. That continuity matters. In modern football, revenue growth is increasingly driven not just by headline sponsorships, but by the ability to coordinate sales, activation, global brand strategy, and long-term partner retention under a unified commercial vision.
The appointment also reflects a broader market trend. Across European football, clubs are increasingly importing commercial talent from the Premier League, where sponsorship sales, premium partnerships, and brand monetization have become highly specialized disciplines. The Premier League’s global reach has effectively turned it into a talent incubator for clubs seeking to catch up in commercial execution.
What makes this hire especially notable is that it is not limited to football experience. The executive’s background also includes roles at major technology companies, including Microsoft and Apple, signaling a commercially versatile profile shaped by cross-industry strategy. That kind of experience is increasingly valuable as clubs evolve from sports organizations into multi-platform media and consumer brands.
The timing is no accident. AC Milan has entered a more ambitious financial phase, recently passing €100 million in sponsorship revenue for the first time and locking in a long-term shirt sponsorship renewal with Emirates through 2031. Deals of that length provide more than stability; they create planning certainty, improve forecasting, and strengthen the club’s ability to build layered commercial products around a global brand.
The financial results suggest the strategy is working. For the 2024-25 season, Milan posted record revenue of €495 million and delivered its third straight annual profit, even if the margin remained modest at €3 million. In a league often viewed as commercially trailing the Premier League, those figures point to meaningful progress and a business model moving in the right direction.
The competitive context adds another layer. Inter Milan is also expanding its commercial footprint, recently announcing a digital partnership with Turkish media technology company Merzigo. The deal is aimed at broadening content distribution, improving production efficiency, and creating new monetization opportunities across the club’s men’s, women’s, and youth teams.
Merzigo’s scale illustrates where football’s next revenue battle is heading. With thousands of managed channels, support for more than 30 languages, and billions of monthly views, digital distribution is becoming a core commercial asset rather than a secondary media function. Clubs that can package content effectively across platforms are better positioned to attract sponsors, deepen fan engagement, and build recurring revenue.
On the field, Inter currently holds the advantage in the league table. Off the field, however, both Milan clubs are investing in the same race: building the most globally relevant, commercially efficient, and digitally scalable business in Italian football. AC Milan’s latest appointment suggests it is determined not just to participate in that race, but to set the pace.
Why It Matters
AC Milan has hired a veteran commercial executive from Manchester United as it looks to convert recent on-field and financial progress into a more durable global revenue platform. The move underscores how elite European clubs are increasingly raiding Premier League organizations for the commercial know-how needed to compete in sponsorship, partnerships, and digital monetization.
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AC Milan appoints Luke Baker as Senior Commercial Director, bringing nearly 9 years of global partnerships experience from Man United. A clear Premier League-style push as Milan tops €100m sponsorship revenue and targets scalable growth.
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AC Milan has made a strategic commercial leadership move by appointing Luke Baker as Senior Commercial Director, drawing on nearly nine years of global partnership experience gained at Manchester United. The hire signals Milan’s intent to accelerate revenue growth by deepening its international partnerships and sales capabilities—at a time when the club is already building real commercial momentum. Baker will oversee partnerships and sales across Milan’s commercial operations and will report into Chief Revenue Officer Maikel Oettle. This adds continuity to a commercial structure that has been reshaped in recent years, with Oettle stepping up from Sponsorship Sales Director to Commercial Director in 2023 and later becoming CRO after Casper Stylsvig’s departure. Why this matters: it reflects a broader shift across European football. Clubs are increasingly “importing” Premier League-grade commercial expertise to industrialize sponsorship revenue, premium partnerships, and brand monetization—turning commercial teams into engines rather than support functions. Importantly, Baker’s background isn’t limited to football. His prior roles at technology giants like Microsoft and Apple suggest an approach grounded in cross-industry strategy—useful in an era where clubs must monetize at scale across global audiences, platforms, and digital ecosystems. Milan’s timing is strong. The club has surpassed €100 million in sponsorship revenue for the first time and renewed its shirt sponsorship with Emirates through 2031, providing long-term stability while reinforcing global brand appeal. Financially, Milan reported record revenue of €495 million for 2024-25 and a third consecutive annual profit (reported at €3 million), demonstrating that execution is translating into the balance sheet. The wider context also sharpens the story: while AC Milan pushes to build a scalable commercial engine, Inter Milan is doing the same—recently announcing a digital partnership with Merzigo aimed at expanding content distribution and unlocking new monetization opportunities across men’s, women’s, and youth teams. With Merzigo managing thousands of channels and generating massive monthly views, digital distribution is clearly becoming the next frontier. On the pitch, Inter currently lead AC Milan by six points with eight games remaining. Off the pitch, both clubs are investing in the same contest: who can build the most globally relevant, scalable revenue platform. #ACMilan #FootballBusiness #CommercialStrategy #Sponsorship #SportsMarketing #SportsBusiness
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AC Milan just hired Luke Baker (ex-Man United) to supercharge global partnerships & sales. Big Premier League-style commercial push as Milan tops €100m in sponsorships + Emirates deal to 2031. 📈⚽️ #ACMilan #LukeBaker #FootballBusiness #Sponsorship #SportsMarketing #SerieA #ManUnited #CommercialStrategy #SportsFinance #Emirates
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AC Milan has appointed Luke Baker as Senior Commercial Director, bringing nearly nine years of global partnership experience from Manchester United. The move is designed to strengthen Milan’s commercial strategy, build on sponsorship momentum (including surpassing €100m in sponsorship revenue) and support long-term revenue growth. Baker will report to CRO Maikel Oettle as Milan continues to professionalize its global revenue engine in an increasingly digital football economy.
#ACMilan#FootballBusiness#SportsMarketing
AC Milan just made a major commercial power move. They’ve appointed Luke Baker—who spent nearly nine years running global partnerships at Manchester United—as Senior Commercial Director. His job? Supercharge Milan’s global partnerships and sales across the club’s commercial operations, reporting into CRO Maikel Oettle. Why it’s big: Milan has already hit a major milestone—over €100 million in sponsorship revenue—and renewed Emirates as shirt sponsor through 2031. This is also part of a wider European trend: clubs are importing Premier League-level commercial know-how to monetize brands and digital audiences at scale. And with Inter also investing heavily in digital distribution, the off-pitch race is on. Who builds the best global revenue engine first?
#ACMilan#FootballBusiness#SportsMarketing
AC Milan is leveling up off the pitch. They’ve appointed Luke Baker as Senior Commercial Director—an executive with nearly nine years of global partnerships experience at Manchester United. Baker will lead partnerships and sales across Milan’s commercial operations, working under Chief Revenue Officer Maikel Oettle. This move matters because Milan is already in a strong commercial phase: they’ve surpassed €100 million in sponsorship revenue and locked in a major shirt sponsorship renewal with Emirates through 2031. It also reflects a bigger shift in European football—top clubs are bringing in Premier League-style commercial expertise to grow sponsorship, premium partnerships, and brand monetization. With Inter investing in digital distribution too, this is turning into a race to build the most scalable, global revenue engine. Who wins the commercial battle as the season heats up?
#ACMilan#FootballBusiness#SportsMarketing
AC Milan is hiring a former Man United commercial executive to scale partnerships and revenue. The Premier League playbook—now in Milan—as the club pushes beyond sponsorship into global, higher-margin growth. 📈
#ACMilan#FootballBusiness#SportsMarketing#Sponsorship#Partnerships#RevenueGrowth
AC Milan’s latest leadership move is a clear signal that the club is aiming to compete in the global marketplace—not just on the pitch. Appointing a long-time Manchester United commercial executive as Senior Commercial Director, AC Milan is bringing in Premier League-grade partnership expertise to sharpen its commercial strategy and accelerate revenue growth. The mandate is practical: convert Milan’s rising brand value into scalable, higher-margin income streams through tighter coordination across partnerships, sales, activation, global brand strategy, and long-term partner retention. What’s especially strategic here is the reporting line. The new hire will work under the club’s Chief Revenue Officer, reinforcing a continuity of leadership that supports a more sophisticated commercial operating model. In modern football, revenue gains increasingly come from execution across the whole commercial system—not isolated sponsorship headlines. This move also reflects a wider European trend: clubs are increasingly “importing” commercial talent from the Premier League, where sponsorship sales and brand monetization have become highly specialized disciplines. In many cases, the Premier League functions as a talent incubator for clubs seeking to close the commercial gap. The background adds another layer. The executive’s experience isn’t limited to football—roles at major technology companies like Microsoft and Apple suggest a commercially versatile profile shaped by cross-industry strategy. As clubs evolve into multi-platform media and consumer brands, that kind of experience can be a differentiator. Timing matters. Milan has entered a more ambitious financial phase, surpassing €100m in sponsorship revenue and renewing its shirt sponsorship with Emirates through 2031—an extended horizon that improves planning certainty and enables layered commercial product development. The financial performance supports the direction: record revenue of €495m in 2024–25 and a third straight annual profit, even with a modest margin. And the competitive context is intensifying. Inter Milan is also expanding its digital footprint, including a partnership with Merzigo to broaden content distribution and create new monetization opportunities. That underscores where football’s next revenue battle is heading: packaging content effectively across platforms to attract sponsors, deepen engagement, and build recurring revenue. Bottom line: AC Milan’s appointment isn’t just a staffing update—it’s a commercial blueprint. If execution matches intent, Milan looks determined not only to participate in Italy’s revenue race, but to set the pace. #ACMilan #FootballBusiness #CommercialStrategy #Sponsorship #Partnerships #SportsMarketing #DigitalTransformation
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AC Milan just imported Premier League commercial firepower 👀 New Senior Commercial Director to turbocharge partnerships + scalable revenue. €100m+ sponsorship revenue, Emirates through 2031… the global race is on. 📈 #ACMilan #FootballBusiness #Sponsorship #Partnerships #SportsMarketing #PremierLeague #RevenueGrowth #DigitalStrategy #SportsFinance #Football
#ACMilan#FootballBusiness#SportsMarketing#Sponsorship#Partnerships#RevenueGrowth
AC Milan is making a major commercial statement. The club has appointed a former Manchester United commercial executive as Senior Commercial Director to strengthen partnerships and drive higher-margin revenue growth. The move reflects a broader trend across European football: importing Premier League expertise to scale global brand monetization. With Milan already surpassing €100m in sponsorship revenue and renewing Emirates through 2031, the club appears focused on building a more digitally scalable, long-term commercial model.
#ACMilan#FootballBusiness#SportsMarketing#Sponsorship#Partnerships#RevenueGrowth
AC Milan just hired a Premier League commercial expert 👀 They’ve brought in a long-time Manchester United partnerships leader as Senior Commercial Director—meaning Milan wants to grow revenue beyond matchdays. The goal? Turn brand value into scalable, higher-margin income streams: smarter sponsorships, stronger partner retention, and better global activation. And it’s not just football experience—this exec has worked in tech too, which signals Milan is thinking multi-platform, media-first. With Milan already passing €100m in sponsorship revenue and locking Emirates through 2031, this looks like a serious push for the next revenue era. Do you think Milan can close the commercial gap with the biggest clubs in Europe?
#ACMilan#FootballBusiness#SportsMarketing#Sponsorship#Partnerships#RevenueGrowth
AC Milan is changing the game off the pitch. 👀 They’ve appointed a former Manchester United commercial executive as Senior Commercial Director—bringing Premier League-level partnerships expertise to Milan. Why it matters: this role focuses on scaling higher-margin revenue through smarter sponsorship strategy, partner activation, global brand planning, and long-term retention. It’s also a modern signal—this executive has experience not only in football, but also in major tech companies, pointing to a multi-platform media and consumer-brand approach. And the timing is big. Milan has surpassed €100m in sponsorship revenue and renewed Emirates through 2031, giving the club long-term commercial stability. So the question is: will this commercial push translate into on-field momentum too? Like and follow for more football business updates.
#ACMilan#FootballBusiness#SportsMarketing#Sponsorship#Partnerships#RevenueGrowth
