Bookmaker Sponsorship – What Sports & Events Do Bookies Sponsor

Horse Racing

Betfred has a long-running relationship with the horse racing sector. It remains as one of the largest sponsors of the sport. For many years it had races spread across various racecourses. This included the Midlands National run, the Dante Stakes, and the Cesarewitch Handicap.

In 2017, the brand had to end its commercial relationship with British racing, though. This saw it close its on-course betting shops at almost all tracks. The only ones remaining were those at Ascot and Chelmsford. Yet in 2023, new sponsorship deals with The Oaks, The Derby and St Leger came to light.

Rugby League

The Super League has had seven sponsors since its inaugural season in 1996. Stones Bitter was its initial sponsor and Betfred is its most recent. The company became the first bookmaker to sponsor the Super League in 2017. Betfair offered to sponsor the Super League in 2012, but this was not accepted by the RFL.

Estimates suggest the deal is worth £850,000 – £900,000 per year. As a result of the deal, it became known as the Betfred Super League. Betfred also signed a two-year deal to sponsor the Championship and League 1 in 2018. Then, between 2022 and 2023, it would sponsor the England men’s, women’s, and wheelchair teams’ shirts.

Snooker

Most of the World Snooker Championships had sponsorship from tobacco companies to 2005. This had been in place ever since 1969. Legislation introduced in 2003 placed restrictions on tobacco advertising, though.

As a result, from 2006 to 2022, sponsorship came from betting companies. Betfred first sponsored it between 2009 and 2012. It then returned as sponsor between 2015 and 2022. It now gets its sponsorship from online car retailer Cazoo.

Football

One of Betfred’s longest-running partnerships in football came with Manchester United. Between 2006 and 2013, it was the official betting partner of the football club. This partnership was also renewed before the 2022-23 season.

Betfred also took over the sponsorship of the Scottish League Cup in 2016. This saw the Cup rebranded as the Betfred Cup for three years initially. The deal was then extended to last until 2021 and was worth £1 million.

Further to that, Betfred has been the shirt sponsor for two football teams. In 2017, it became the shirt sponsor for Bolton Wanderers for two seasons. Then, in 2019, it partnered with RCD Mallorca as its shirt sponsor. This would last for two seasons once again. In both instances, the teams’ shirts displayed the Betfred logo.

Darts

The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) has also benefitted from a Betfred partnership. In 2019, the betting brand announced it would sponsor the World Matchplay tournament. This deal would last until 2022 in its initial state.

Before the 2022 event got underway, Betfred said it had renewed the deal until 2025. This sees the tournament named as the Betfred World Matchplay. Total prize money during Betfred’s sponsorship has stood at £700,000 – £800,000.

NFL, MLB & USL

Betfred has even begun sponsoring sports teams in the United States of America. In 2020, it signed into a multi-year deal with the Denver Broncos as official sports betting partner. The team was due to open its sports betting lounge that year and Betfred’s logo would be visible within.

A similar deal came about between Betfred and the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022. At the NFL team’s home ground, Paycor Stadium, the Betfred logo appears atop the scoreboard. There is also the Betfred Gate for fans to walk through. The betting brand is the only one to have its logo showcased inside the Paycor Stadium.

Baseball hasn’t gone untouched, either. In 2021, Betfred signed a multi-year deal with the Colorado Rockies. This surrounds marketing and sponsorship. The terms of the deal also includes various digital and stadium assets at Coors field. Game day experiences for fans, like ticket giveaways, also make up a part of it. Betfred stands as a Proud Partner of the Colorado Rockies.

The final foray into the U.S. sports scene (for now) is a deal with the USL team, Loudoun United. As Betfred prepared to launch its mobile sportsbook in Virginia, the deal came to light. It sees the betting brand’s logo appear on the back of Loudoun soccer players’ away shirts. The multi-year deal will see further brand activations planned, too.

Horse Racing

William Hill and horse racing go back years. Then again, the company has been active since the 1930s. There have been various horse races sponsored by the company throughout that time. In 2007, the betting firm threatened to withdraw such deals.

This came about due to its dispute with racecourses over TurfTV. At the time, it was the sponsor of the William Hill Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival. Yet it ended up subscribing to the channel in January of the following year.

A couple of the more recent sponsorships in horse racing from William Hill have been:

• The Grand National – In 2023, William Hill announced it has entered into a partnership with the Grand National. This marks it as the official betting partner of the race for the next three years. It also became the named sponsor of three ITV-televised races during Aintree at the same time. Those were the Grade 1 William Hill Aintree Hurdle, the William Hill Handicap Hurdle, and the Grade 3 William Hill Handicap Chase.
• Racing League – Both the 2021 and 2022 editions of the Racing League received sponsorship from the betting firm. Launched in 2021, it became the first horse racing event to follow a league format. Participants represent seven regions in Great Britain and Ireland in it. Racing League has a total prize fund of over £2 million.

Football

The biggest deal that came about between football and William Hill was in 2011. It was at this point that it began sponsoring the Scottish Cup. This saw the trophy renamed as the William Hill Scottish Cup. That partnership lasted up until 2020. It also saw the betting firm be the official partner of the Scotland National team.

The South Stand at Hampden Park was also named the William Hill stand. The betting brand’s investment surpassed the eight-figure mark during 2015’s renewal. It ended due to the backlash of betting companies’ involvement in Scottish football.

William Hill has also been the official betting partner of several top-tier clubs. This includes:

• Everton: From 2016 – 2018
• Chelsea: From 2016 – 2019
• Tottenham: From 2016 – ongoing
• Celtic FC – From 2022 – 2024

Darts

For seven years, between 2015 and 2022, William Hill also had a darts sponsorship deal. This saw it operate as the official sponsor of the PDC World Darts Championship. Before this, it had Ladbrokes as its official sponsor between 2003 and 2014. It is now sponsored by Cazoo.

That marks the end of the 20-year run of bookmakers sponsoring the darts tournament. Through those betting sponsorships, the PDC was able to increase the prize pool to £2.5 million by 2022.

U.S. Sports

It is also the case that William Hill is active in the U.S. scene. This has seen it become the official sports betting partner of the NFL and NBA. Both of those deals came about in 2019. It was also in that year that it entered a deal with Monumental Sports & Entertainment. Again, this sees it operate as the brand’s official sports betting partner.

Through the deal, the betting firm became the official betting partner of three more sports teams. The Washington Wizards (NBA), Washington Capitals (NHL) and Washington Mystics (WNBA).

High-Profile Individuals

William Hill also welcomed Anthony Joshua into the fold as a brand ambassador. This took place in 2018, with the deal lasting for one year. The professional boxer represented the bookmaker, featuring in its advertising campaigns. Joshua was to back the company’s social media and PR activities across all platforms.

Since 2010, Robbie Savage has also been a brand ambassador for William Hill. In 2018, the former footballer-turned-pundit came under fire from the BBC. This occurred after he promoted the gambling company hours before covering the Champions League broadcast on the BBC.

The star received criticism for using “dangerous” promotion tactics. Some suggested that it played on the vulnerabilities of gambling addicts. Yet Savage has helped with the William Hill Foundation. This has raised funds for the Alzheimer’s Society and other good causes.

Football

The two areas that Bet365 has been most active in sponsorship-wise are football and horse racing. In May of 2012, Bet365 signed a three-year contract with Stoke to become shirt sponsors. That deal has never faltered, with Bet365 still having its logo on team shirts today.

It was in April of 2016 that a further deal with Stoke was also forged. This saw the betting firm become the new title sponsors for the club’s stadium. It remains active as the Bet365 Stadium. The partnership reportedly is worth at least £3 million per season.

It is also the case that Bet365 went further afield with its shirt sponsorship deals. In 2016, it signed into agreements with both Ludogorets Razgrad and Slavia Sofia. The two Bulgarian teams emblazoned the Bet365 logo on their shirts as a result. The deal with Ludogorets lasted for two years, with the logo appearing on their away kit. The deal with Slavia Sofia remains in effect today.

Furthermore, Bet365 entered Spain’s La Liga in 2018 alongside various other betting brands. Headlines were rife at the time, stating that Bet365 had “colonised” half of the Spanish league. Up to 10 new sponsorship deals came to light. Shirt sponsorship was not included in the agreements. Instead, the Bet365 logo appeared everywhere else. This included on team buses, within stadium facilities, on social media, etc. It included deals with:

• Villareal Club de Fútbol
• SD Eibar
• Getafe CF
• Athletic Bilbao
• Real Betis
• Rayo Vallecano
• RC Celta de Vig
• RDC Espanyol de Barcelona
• Real Valladolid
• SD Huesca

Horse Racing

It would be overwhelming to list all the horse racing events Bet365 has been a part of. Over the years, it has had a prominent position within the industry. It sponsored the Craven Stakes at Newmarket in 2004 and then 2005. It returned to do the same thing between 2017 and 2022 again. Yet for 2023, it has several main sponsorship deals in the horse racing industry. They include:

• January 21 – Ascot
• April 18 – 20 – Newmarket (Craven)
• April 28 – 29 – Sandown (Bet365 Gold Cup)
• June 11 – Perth (Gold Cup)
• July 8 – Haydock (Lancashire Oaks)
• September 30 – Newmarket (Cambridgeshire)
• December 16 – Doncaster (Summit Hurdle)

Greyhound Racing

For the first time in its history, Bet365 will also support and promote greyhound racing. Not too long ago, the company announced a significant sponsorship deal. Through this, it aims to support the sport with a range of competitions across 2023.

A spokesperson for Bet365 said that the deal would cover four major competitions. This includes the Bet365 Empress Stakes in September and Bet365 Puppy Oaks in November. Coverage is also featuring on SIS and Racing Post Greyhound TV (RPGTV).

MMA

It was in 2022 that Bet365 renewed its existing partnership with UFC. The deal, which began in 2021, expanded last year to include a new YouTube series. As part of the deal, Bet365 receives extra visibility across UFC digital content.

Promotions on social media channels and at the famous octagon venue also display the Bet365 logo. Further coverage is also assured on the UFC Fight Pass digital subscription service.

Boxing

Finally, Bet365 signed a deal with a professional boxing company in the UK – Boxxer. Founded by Ben Shalom in 2018, the sponsorship deal came about in 2021. This solidifies the betting brand as one of the official betting partners of Boxxer.

Sky Sports is the other one. Bet365 branding features in a prominent way at ringside during events. It is also present on Sky Sports and during filming at Wembley Arena. Live streams of bouts are also streamed via the Bet365 website.

Horse Racing

Like many other sports betting brands, 888Sport has had a central focus on horse racing. It is, of course, one of the UK’s biggest draws in the sports world and various cups and races have received sponsorship from 888Sport.

One of the most recent sponsorships came about in 2022. Jockey Neil Callan received this for the Flat season that year. As a result, he wore the betting brand’s logo on his riding gear. At the same time, he kept a blog updated throughout the 2022 season as part of the deal.

Before that, the 888 brand was on display during Cheltenham Races in 2021. The two-day Cheltenham Showcase saw 888 become its official betting partner. This saw the betting brand sponsor the What’s Your Thinking Novices Hurdle first. It also sponsored the Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase. The final two links were to the handicap Chase and the feature event.

It also sponsored the Tingle Creek Chase in 2014, and had a stand named after it in 2010 at Fontwell Park.

Football

Much of the sponsorship activity for 888Sport has been in the realm of football, though. In 2016, it became the shirt sponsor for four Championship teams at once. That was the first time this had ever occurred.

888Sport also said it would pay for fans to travel to away games until Christmas that year. Birmingham City, Brentwood, Nottingham Forest, and Preston North End all got to experience this. Other teams it has sponsored in the past include Sevilla FC and Middlesbrough FC. The 2022 to 2023 season saw it sponsor RB Leipzig.

Santiago Cañizares and Ian Wright, both former footballers, also became ambassadors for 888Sport. The former in 2011 and the latter in 2012.

NFL

The National Football League (NFL) has made waves in the UK in recent times. 888Sport can consider itself responsible in part for this. In 2020, it became the official betting partner of the league. That deal was also recently extended to continue running until at least 2025.

Between 2018 and 2019, it had also sponsored the New York Jets. This was the first online operator deal of its kind between an NFL team and the betting brand. That deal saw 888.com branding on display during all Jets games.

Football

Unibet has sponsored a great selection of football teams and leagues over the years. Dating way back to 2009, it began with sponsoring Spanish team Valencia in a deal worth around £6 million. Other foreign teams to have had the Unibet logo on their kit include:

• FC Copenhagen
• Dinamo Bucharest
• Club Brugge
• Charleroi S.C.
• AFC Ajax

It has also sponsored more local teams, including Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and Rangers.

In 2018, it paid an estimated $200 million to replace Svenska Spel as the title sponsor of the top tiers of Swedish soccer. Beginning on January 1, 2020, it partnered with Allsvenskan and Superettan. The terms of the deal mean that $16.7 million will go to the SEF on an annual basis. $11.1 million gets distributed between the clubs in the two leagues.

NFL

The company also entered into the NFL, sponsoring the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019. The deal runs until the 2024/25 season. It sees Unibet remain as the team’s official casino and sportsbook partner. The betting brand gets a dedicated ‘Unibet Landing’ location at the Lincoln Financial Field. This hosts fan activations during the year.

It also brought a second NFL team into the fold in 2021 with the Pittsburgh Steelers. That deal includes digital collaboration across social media and sweepstakes for fans to enter. The duo also collaborates to support the local community.

Chess

The sport of chess isn’t often brought up by many sportsbooks. Yet Unibet entered into a deal with Magnus Carlsen in 2020. It was at the same time that the brand sponsored his chess club, Offerspill.

The deal with both Carlsen and Offerspill were both extended to 2024 last year. Both sponsorships seek to support and promote the Unibet/Kindred 0% revenue from harmful gambling by 2023.

Horse Racing

There have been many horse races and trophies sponsored by Unibet through the years. The Unibet Tolworth Day and Unibet Champion Hurdle stand out as two of these. The former is one of the top novice hurdle races of the season.

It is often won by a horse who goes on to Cheltenham Festival success, too. The latter is the premier two-mile hurdle race in the world. Unibet has sponsored it since 2018.