Sunderland AFC has announced a new partnership agreement with Betfair who become the club’s betting partner in the UK. A deal with the Premier League outfit was secured at the back end of last week that will see the online betting company effectively use the club’s platforms to engage with supporters. Sunderland AFC’s commercial director Gary Hutchinson said of the deal: “I am absolutely delighted to welcome Betfair to the Sunderland family. It is the fourth addition to the club’s partnership portfolio ahead of the 2015-16 season and we look forward to building a successful relationship with them.”
The European and US iGaming giants has secured an enhanced presence inside the Stadium of Light, the home ground of Sunderland AFC. Betfair will appear on the club’s LED screens and interview backdrops in the forthcoming season as they look to become the first port of call for supporters in the UK. Betfair’s move into the football partnership market is a mark of the company’s continued growth, with the success of their online casino business and other mobile gaming platforms currently at an all-time high. Mobile gaming revenues now represent 33 per cent of their total revenue, up from 6 per cent two years a
The Betfair deal is not the first the North East based club has made with the betting industry of late, with an accord having also been struck with Dafabet. Based in Asia, Dafabet are now the club’s official shirt sponsors and it is their logo that will adorn Sunderland’s kit for the 2015/16 season. Given that the Premier League dwarfs competitors such as Serie A in Italy and Spain’s La Liga in terms of global reach, it should come as no surprise that the betting industry is currently looking to continually evolve its association with the English top flight.
The TV audience for Premier League games is 4.7 billion, and the number of homes reached last season increased 11 per cent to 643 million. Given it is shown in 212 territories around the world and has a centralized income from broadcast annually at £1.2 billion, it is likely the market for betting partnerships will only go in one direction. PokerStars has recently turned to Spain though for its brand ambassadors, with Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar of arch rivals Barcelona having both inked deals with the online poker company. Betfair has a similar partnership in place with Sunderland’s top flight rivals Aston Villa.
