William Hill, perhaps the UK’s best known sportsbook both online and over-the-counter, has inked major sponsorship deals with The Football Association to last two and a half years. It will now be “The Official Supporter” of the England football team as well as “The Official Supporter” and “Official Betting Partner” of the FA cup.
This is the first deal of its type for the betting industry and came into effect as of January 7, 2012; it continues through to the end of FA and FIFA World Cups in 2014. This is a clear ploy on William Hill’s part to increase their sports betting business and (as if it was necessary) create more brand awareness. There are is a wide and unique range of advertising and promotional opportunities inked into the deal.
The Chief Executive of William Hill, Ralph Topping, explained matters in a very diplomatic way by saying, “We have been looking for sponsorship opportunities from which we can reward and engage with our customers for the events they most enjoy. This deal with The FA will help us to achieve our objectives of developing the prominence of our brand and increasing market share in all our business channels.
Ralph Topping, William Hill CEO Pictured.
“Our ‘Official Betting Partner’ status of The FA Cup complements our existing partnership with the Scottish Football Association and our sponsorship of the Scottish Cup with which we are already extremely delighted and it becomes a welcome addition to our quality range of sponsorships within **darts, snooker and racing.
“The next two and a half years are an exciting time for UK football and we’re delighted to now be part of all of those events.”
Henry Birch, who is the Chief Executive of WilliamHill.com chimed in with this, “The deal with The FA is an excellent one for williamhill.com as it provides us with a strong platform for our brands and products both in the UK and internationally.”
And finally, The FA’s Head of Sponsorship, Peter Daire, gave his approval of the deal with this little tidbit, “We are delighted to have William Hill on board. They have a strong track record in sports sponsorship and a considerable online and high street presence that will enable us to strengthen our communication platforms for England and The FA Cup. In return, William Hill will benefit from an association with two of the highest-profile football sponsorship properties in the world.”
So, don’t be surprised if you find yourself considering a placing an in-play bet on William Hill.com while watching a football match. You’ll be seeing their name and their logo all over the airwaves and on banners.
