With a new football season almost upon us, betting companies continue to scramble to lock down highly visible sponsorship deals.
This week, online bookie Marathonbet announced a two-year deal with Malaga CF that will see the bookmaker’s logo proudly adorning the La Liga side’s shirtfronts. The deal comes following the January launch of the operator’s Spanish-facing site Marathonbet.es.
The deal, which holds an option for a third year, also offers Marathonbet lots of advertising opportunities inside Malaga’s La Rosaleda stadium, as well as major visibility across the team’s training gear and backroom staff apparel.
Malaga joins a long list of Marathonbet football tie-ups, including betting partnerships with English Premier League mainstays Manchester United, Liverpool and Middlesbrough, as well as Football League Championship side Derby County.
HILLS INK SPURS
The world of football betting sponsorships is certainly an incestuous one. Years ago, Malaga had a sponsorship deal with UK bookmaker William Hill, who have just announced a new two-year European and Australian betting partnership with Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, whose previous betting partner was none other than Marathonbet. Icky.
In addition to the usual presence across pitch-side advertising boards and Spurs’ digital channels, Hills will enjoy a monopoly on in-stadium betting services on match days. Both Hills and Spurs call Haringey home, so Hills has also agreed to invest in a community project via the team’s Tottenham Hotspur Foundation.
Hills’ deal with Spurs follows just days after Hills inked a similar two-year pact with Premier League side Everton FC.
888SPORT GET INTO THE TRAVEL BUSINESS
Finally, 888 Holdings’ sports betting division 888Sport is claiming a first by simultaneously sponsoring four Championship teams for the 2016-17 season: Birmingham City, Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Preston North End.
As part of its Fans First Campaign, 888Sport will offer the four clubs’ fans free travel to all midweek away league matches until Christmas. 888 Holdings head of B2C Itai Pazner said the company understood how difficult it is for fans to commit to traveling to such games and hoped that the free coaches 888 will provide will encourage more fans to travel to support their club. No word on which 888Sport staffer is charged with cleaning all the vomit off the floor of those coaches at the end of the night.
