# Premier League new logo (2016)

> Premier League launched a new logo on 9 Feb 2016, designed by DesignStudio. The crest-shaped badge, with a full lion standing on a football above an all-caps "PREMIER LEAGUE", was replaced by a stripped-back crowned lion's head between the words "Premier League" in a lower-case custom FF Mark wordmark. The football, the lion's body, the crest outline and the Barclays title sponsorship all went.

## Key facts

- Brand: Premier League
- Launched: 9 Feb 2016
- Studio: DesignStudio
- What changed: The crest-shaped badge, with a full lion standing on a football above an all-caps "PREMIER LEAGUE", was replaced by a stripped-back crowned lion's head between the words "Premier League" in a lower-case custom FF Mark wordmark. The football, the lion's body, the crest outline and the Barclays title sponsorship all went.
- Industry: Sport
- Logos: https://rebrandlog.com/logos/premier-league-2016/before.png (before), https://rebrandlog.com/logos/premier-league-2016/after.png (after)

## The rebrand, explained

The impetus was the end of Barclays' title sponsorship after the 2015/16 season, which gave the league what Design Week called a "clean brand" for the first time in its history. DesignStudio led the project with Robin Brand Consultants.

A brand audit found that 90% of stakeholders were fond of the lion, so it stayed. Eye-tracking tests showed people look at the lion's face before the wordmark, and the face became the focus of some 600 sketches. Dezeen noted that the design "disposes of a number of the former logo's key elements, like the football and lion's body."

DesignStudio's Stuart Watson said the old capitals gave a sense of "shouting and not talking." The new lower-case wordmark uses a custom FF Mark from Monotype, redrawn so the two words align. The lion's head works alone on the app icon and on the sleeve badge worn by every player.

The system was billed as "digital-first and broadcast ready," with club-neutral colours meant to change on a three-year cycle. DixonBaxi later extended it to on-screen graphics for broadcasters in 212 territories.

In short: The lion lost its body, its ball and its sponsor.

## Sources

- https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/8-14-february-2016/new-premier-league-identity-looks-to-talk-and-not-shout/
- https://www.dezeen.com/2016/08/15/uk-premier-league-football-logo-lion-minimal-rebrand-designstudio/
- https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/designstudio-premier-league-090216
- https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/11-17-january-2016/designstudio-works-on-premier-league-rebrand/

## Cite this

Rebrand Log, "Premier League new logo (2016)", https://rebrandlog.com/rebrand/premier-league-2016/, last updated 2026-10-21.