The relationship between the Premier League and betting sponsors has drawn mounting criticism in recent years, particularly over the rise of Asia-facing brands with limited ties to UK audiences.
A voluntary ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships, set to take effect from the end of the 2026/27 season, will mark the end of one of football’s most prominent commercial fixtures.
However, if the surge in deals ahead of the deadline is anything to go by, clubs aren’t planning to walk away from betting revenue anytime soon. Instead, attention is turning to sleeve deals, training kit partnerships and other branding opportunities already emerging as possible alternatives.
Insider Sport sat down with Russell Yershon, Director at Connecting Brands, to find out how these shifts are reshaping football sponsorships, what operators need to do to stay visible and why live betting trends will spark lively debate at SBC Summit Malta.
With the new Premier League front-of-shirt sponsorship restrictions for gambling companies coming into effect at the start of the 2026/27 season, how do you see this reshaping the dynamic between football clubs and betting operators?
The natural fit for betting operators will be to move their branding to the sleeve of Premier League clubs. This commercial asset is available for betting operators and I would imagine up to half of the Premier League clubs will look to have a betting brand on their sleeve.
As well as the shirt branding, the betting operator will continue to get LED branding, media broadcast backboard branding, as well as other assets in a commercial package, including hospitality and use of players for content.
Another asset which has been popular in recent years is betting operators becoming official training wear partners of Premier League clubs, and I think a few more operators will take up this asset. This asset is hugely valuable as the Coach will likely wear this a lot of the time, especially at press conferences and on match day, which delivers very good impressions. Furthermore, the players will wear the training wear during the week when the clubs deliver lots of content for their social channels, so they can continue to get the brand excellent eyeballs globally.
Standard betting partnerships will continue as well, where brands will look to receive branding on broadcast media backdrop and receive a good value of LED time as well.
So, in terms of reshaping the dynamic, it’s a case the sleeve and training wear are becoming lucrative assets for betting brands, meaning the Premier League clubs can look to inflate their commercial price for these assets as they know demand will be high.
Naturally, for the betting brand, the cost of entry will be less as the shirt, the prize asset, is no longer available and that asset demands the highest fee.
Do you expect sportsbooks to innovate with new types of deals, like sleeve or digital sponsorships, to adapt to these changes? How might this shift impact broader sport marketing strategies?
Yes, other assets that could come into play could be naming rights for a stand of a Premier League club, which can deliver broadcast branding too.
For the Asia brands who primarily have taken the branding on the front of the shirt, they may be able to pick up a few teams sleeves for the fee they would have paid for one Premier League club, or they themselves may look to move away from the Premier League and look at other Sports to invest in, where the broadcast in Asia can work for them.
So, there will be a shirt in their marketing strategy for sure, as putting all eggs in one basket of being the front of shirt partner for one team, may now include a sleeve or training wear partner at a few clubs.
Amid changes around football betting sponsorships, do you think there’s added pressure on operators to demonstrate the value of these partnerships? How should operators address these concerns?
Absolutely, as a specialist in activating betting brand partnerships with football clubs, it’s essential the sportsbook looks to maximise and leverage all the rights they have and use them to the full to give the brand the biggest impact.
It’s very important to work with the football clubs you partner with and utilise every asset to deliver the value of the deal. With more digital channels available to the football clubs now, the sportsbook can look to engage with these channels to ensure their brand gets the biggest impact in branding, plus also engagement.
Authenticity is key as well in looking to activate your rights as a sponsor of a Premier League team and delivering content with the players, with creative content that can connect the brand well with the fanbase. Given fanbases are growing globally, you can look to regionalise the content you have, making it relatable to fans in each territory.
At ConnectingBrands, we are very experienced in working with sportsbook operators from all different geos to drive value from partnerships and sponsorships in football and utilising the clubs’ wide range of assets available to ensure the operator can benefit to reach the maximum audience possible, showcasing their brand, messaging and product offering.
What key insights do you think attendees will take away from your panel, and what key themes should be discussed more openly while attending SBC Summit Malta?
I am excited about moderating this panel discussing whether live betting on football is seeing a decline, while post-match highlights, YouTube clips, and TikTok content are pulling in massive audiences.
Some of the key insights attendees will take away from the panel are looking at how in-play betting is performing across different geographies around the world. And, where there is a decline, looking at how bettors’ betting habits are changing with so much content available during the game, that is taking away from them placing bets.
We will also be discussing how operators can look to capitalise on the changing dynamics and look to ensure they are front of mind to reverse the trend that is happening with in-play bets. The use of watchalongs and other content that is now available whilst the games are going on can be a way to ensure your brand is front and centre of this, to maximise turnover.
Secure your spot at SBC Summit Malta with our discounted ‘Group Pass’. For groups of three or more, you can gain access to three days of networking, exhibition, and conference content for the price of €400 (a discount of €200 off a standard ticket).
Additionally, you can purchase our ‘Expo+ Pass’ for €150. This pass grants you access to the conference and exhibition only. Operators and affiliates can apply for complimentary passes.
