Atletico Madrid and Peaky Blinders join forces: An unusual partnership explained

Madrid – When Antoine Griezmann strides onto the Metropolitano pitch on 14 March he may look more like Tommy Shelby than a La Liga marksman. Atletico Madrid have struck a one-off promotional pact with Netflix that will see the club’s channels, squad and stadium temporarily transported from the Spanish capital to 1930s Birmingham to herald the arrival of The Immortal Man, the Peaky Blinders feature film that lands on the platform five days after the Getafe fixture.

Under the agreement, valued sources say Netflix will pay Atletico for access to its digital reach, its players and its 68,000-seat arena. A short film already in production features Griezmann, captain Koke, José María Giménez, Ademola Lookman and Alexander Sørloth in period garb. On matchday, Peaky Blinders look-alikes will “escort” the squad from the team bus to the tunnel, while supporters will be handed newspapers and flat caps. The stadium’s sky-ribbon screen and public-address system will stage a bespoke show, and a pop-up Garrison Tavern—complete with a vintage barbershop—will occupy the concourse.

The initiative is the latest example of Atletico’s willingness to experiment with non-traditional revenue streams. Since Apollo Sports Global became majority shareholder in November, the club has welcomed Bad Bunny for ten sold-out concerts, allowed Disney+ to film drama O11ZE inside its facilities, and signed Red Bull as an “events partner” through 2027. Commercial income has jumped 25 per cent to €113.46 million in 2024-25, with executives targeting €500 million in total revenue this season.

Netflix, for its part, continues to court sport audiences. The streamer recently teamed with FIFA on a World Cup video game and produces the Formula 1 docuseries Drive to Survive. Atletico’s long-standing president Enrique Cerezo, a prolific film producer, previously plastered Columbia Pictures titles across the club’s shirts in the mid-2000s, making the Peaky Blinders tie-in less of a cultural leap than it appears.

La Liga regulations allow clubs free rein over off-pitch entertainment provided it does not interfere with broadcast or competitive integrity, leaving Atletico clear to recreate Small Heath in Madrid for one night only. After the final whistle, normal service will resume—until the next stunt, which sources inside the club say is already being discussed.

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