Columbus Crew have announced a multi-year sponsorship deal with Nationwide, the Ohio-based insurance and financial services firm, beginning in 2021, reports, www.sportspromedia.com/.

For the 2020 MLS season, which kicks off this weekend, the Crew will partner with Nationwide Children's Hospital, which has secured front-of-shirt branding for all league games and US Open Cup matches.

From 2021, Nationwide will take up shirt sponsorship duties, with Nationwide Children's Hospital switching to a community partner role, for which further details will be announced later this year.

The club are reportedly set to earn more than US$3 million per season from the deal, according to the Columbus Dispatch. It adds this will be 'close to double' the US$1.8 million a year the Crew earned from former shirt sponsor, Japanese automaker Acura, which let its deal lapse at the end of last season.

The Crew begin their 2020 MLS campaign at home to New York City FC on 1st March.