Premier League sides are turning to a slew of betting companies for sponsorships as lower-tier clubs struggle to pique interest of big-name brands. There are now eight betting companies sponsoring Premier League teams including bet365 sponsoring Stoke City; Watford sponsor 138.com and TLCbBet sponsoring West Brom. The betting companies are replacing well known consumer brands that previously adorned the shirts of some of the lower tier Premier League clubs: Dr Martens, the shoe brand, was a previous sponsor of West Ham United; Reebok sponsored Bolton Wanderers; and Walkers Crisps sponsored Leicester City, to name three. The latest big-name brand to end its sponsorship of a Premier League club is insurance company Aviva, ending its sponsorship of Norwich City.
LONELY AT THE TOP: While the market is still inflating for the top six Premier League clubs -- as witnessed by ManU’s £47M-a-year deal with Chevrolet -- for the other clubs, enticing shirt sponsors is proving a lot harder. According to Antony Marcou, CEO of sponsorship agency Sports Revolution, those teams outside the top six are failing to offer big brands the commercial returns they expect. He said, “They [big-name brands] used football sponsorship as part of their mainstream marketing and brand-building objectives. But now, too many of those brands are leaving, because clubs can’t offer them the kind of fully-integrated marketing package that they expect.”
BUILDING BRANDS: Instead, the betting companies are using shirt sponsorship as customer acquisition tools instead of looking to build their brands. Marcou said, “If they’re not careful, football clubs will increasingly be seen as direct response marketing vehicles and not as valuable partners for building brands. Given the global exposure and value of the Premier League, that’s a huge missed opportunity.” He has now called on clubs to offer more integrated sponsorship packages, which engage fans and include fan apps, content marketing and stadium Wi-Fi, to encourage more big brands to return to shirt sponsorship. Phil Carling, managing director of Octagon’s football division, argues that global brands are “still attracted" to the Premier League, it’s just that they are more selective about where and how they invest. Carling said, “The problem resides with clubs in the lower reaches of the Premier League, where the specter of relegation and a lack of global fan base reduces their offer to a short term ‘media buy.’”
John Reynolds is a writer in London.
