Middlesbrough Football Club and gambling operator Kindred Group have extended its long-running partnership for an additional two years.
Kindred will remain as the club’s front-of-shirt sponsor having been a partner of Middlesbrough since 2018 which after the two year extension, signifies a near decade-long partnership.
As part of the extension, Kindred will continue to support Middlesborough’s community and social initiatives, in particular the Middlesbrough FC Foundation’s men’s mental health initiative, Team Talk.
The Team Talk platform uses the local club and its players, manager and staff as a mechanism to engage with men about their mental well-being.
Liam McGuinness, Head of Commercial of Middlesbrough FC, said: “Everyone at the club is absolutely delighted to extend our partnership with the Kindred Group for another two years. Most importantly, we’d like to thank them for continuing their vital support of the club’s Foundation – especially through the Team Talk mental health initiative.
“The health and wellbeing of our local community is very important to ourselves and Kindred. We are all looking forward to the opportunity to continue driving forward new initiatives that will benefit both our supporters and the people of Teesside.”
The club’s foundation works to raise aspirations and improve the life chances of young people and adults across Teesside. Its work is supported and funded, in part, by the club’s commercial partners, including Kindred.
The gambling operator has pledged to donate a percentage of their hospitality and merchandising rights to supporters via competitions and giveaways. Kindred will also donate front-of-shirt sponsorship space to MFC through the season – allowing for the promotion of the club’s charitable initiatives.
The logo of gambling operator Unibet – a subsidiary of Kindred Group – features on the Middlesbrough first team shirts, with its ‘Zero% Mission’ message a part of Kindred’s Responsible Gambling message.
Sam Mead, UK General Manager of Kindred Group, said: “Kindred’s relationship with Middlesbrough is one of football’s longest running and impactful, so far as community outreach is concerned. That is why we were committed to extending the partnership for another two years.
“We recognise that we are in the privileged position to positively influence clubs and their communities – a responsibility we take seriously. That’s why the basis of this latest partnership will be to help showcase the MFC Foundation’s wide-ranging work, including the men’s mental health initiative Team Talk.”
