West Ham United has named Athletes Elevated as its Men’s First Team Back of Shirt Partner for the 2026/27 season, marking a one-of-a-kind collaboration that gives Hammers supporters priority access to a new marketplace and rewards platform that puts athletes and teams in front of the Club’s fans.
Athletes Elevated will additionally have brand visibility on the front of the West Ham United male Academy shirts and will support the West Ham United Foundation throughout the partnership.
In addition to the global exposure generated by its logo on the back of the Men’s First Team shirts, Athletes Elevated will receive an enhanced package of matchday and digital rights, helping the brand connect with West Ham United fans around the world. This will include visibility across key Club channels, including social media, the website and wider digital platforms.
Founded by Roland Weedon of Essex Mortgage and Weedon Ranch, both previous US regional partners of West Ham United, Athletes Elevated is an athlete-first network and product marketplace connecting fans to their favourite athletes, teams and brands.
Supporters can shop athlete-endorsed products, gain access to offerings found nowhere else and earn rewards, while directly supporting the causes athletes care about.
Priority access for West Ham United fans
West Ham United fans are among the first invited to join Athletes Elevated and claim priority access ahead of the platform’s full public launch. Priority sign-ups unlock early access to announcements and selected drops, bonus rewards points, as well as a first look at collaborations with the Club, including experiences, hospitality opportunities, lifestyle benefits and more to be announced.
Athletes Elevated has allocated a significant portion of its partnership rights to rewarding the West Ham United fanbase within the platform. Speaking on the partnership, Roland said: “As a lifelong Hammer, I knew I wanted to partner with West Ham United for the unveiling of Athletes Elevated. What has kept me coming back is what this Club takes seriously beyond the 90 minutes. The West Ham United Foundation puts real work into the community every day. Athletes Elevated is built on the same principle: help athletes give back to the people and causes that shaped them.
“Putting our name on the back of the shirt is a milestone. Standing with the West Ham United faithful is what makes this partnership matter to us.
“What begins on the back of the shirt this season points to something bigger moving forward: a model where fans, athletes and the causes they care about are connected in ways football and the sporting world simply hasn’t seen before. West Ham United fans set the standard for loyalty, and we wanted them at the front of the line.
“Our platform will be giving Hammers supporters priority access from day one, bonus rewards and a direct connection to the athletes, brands and causes they care about most. We built the sign-up around them by design. When a fanbase shows up the way this one does, they deserve to be rewarded.”
Speaking on the partnership, West Ham United’s Interim Chief Executive Officer, Karim Virani, said: “We are proud to welcome Athletes Elevated to the West Ham United family with a partnership that has our loyal and passionate fanbase at its heart.
“The Club has built up an incredibly successful relationship with Roland and his teams at Essex Mortgage and Weedon Ranch, and we are looking forward to building on that further with Athletes Elevated. This unique and exciting new partnership will provide our supporters with a new way to shop athlete-endorsed products and earn unique rewards.
“We’re also delighted to hear the passion Athletes Elevated has shown in supporting the West Ham United Foundation, with work already underway to utilise the partnership to champion the Foundation’s life-changing outreach.”