Online betting exchange Betfair has extended its sponsorship of English Premier League mainstay Arsenal FC.
Betfair (now part of the Paddy Power Betfair behemoth) inked an official European betting partnership with Arsenal last August, and the relationship went smoothly enough that the partners have decided to recommit until 2019.
The original European deal excluded a number of markets, including the UK, Ireland, Italy and Russia, while the new pact adds the UK as well as South and Central America.
The new and improved deal will offer Betfair increased branding at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium home ground, “additional hospitality” on match days for people on Betfair’s nice list, as well as access to first-team players for promotional activities and the standard voice across the team’s digital channels.
Betfair marketing and brand director Paul Gambrill said the parties had enjoyed “a hugely successful first season” and Betfair was thrilled to develop stronger ties with the club. Arsenal’s chief commercial officer Vinai Venkatesham logrolled right back, saying the deal would boost engagement with the team’s fans in Latin America.
REAL BETIS, UED SPORTS IN DIVORCE TALKS
On a less happy note, Spanish La Liga side Real Betis is negotiating an end to its two-year, €2m shirt deal with sports management and promotion firm UED Sports after only one (partial) season.
It was with great fanfare that Betis announced its deal with UED last fall, having gone two years without a shirt sponsor since its pact with Spanish gaming operator Cirsa expired in 2013. But in February, Spain’s Ministry of Finance ordered the team to suspend the relationship based on concerns expressed by gaming regulator DGOJ.
The DGOJ was reportedly prompted to act after discovering that a subsidiary of the China-based UED – which previously sponsored Spanish second tier footballers Getafe – was involved in gambling operations in the country without a local license. Presumably, the DGOJ was referring to UEDBET, a Philippines-Licensed, Asian-facing sports betting site.
This week, Spanish media reported that Betis and UED had begun discussions on how to formally dissolve their relationship to the satisfaction of both parties, presumably in time to allow the club to find someone else’s logo to adorn their chests before the new La Liga season kicks off in August.
