Sky Bet is the new sponsor of the English Football League and its three divisions for the next five seasons, assuming the mantle from npower.
The betting and gaming arm of the media conglomerate stepped in after DIY company B&Q withdrew from negotiations several months back.
The deal is worth a reputed £6m a year to the League, and was announced on the same day as it extended its broadcast agreement with Sky Sports to 2018.
Sky Bet MD Richard Flint yesterday heralded the new partnership as “ground-breaking” for the online operator, with Sky Bet claiming it would build “even greater awareness” for “the UK’s fourth-largest online bookmaker.”, ostensibly behind bet365, Hill’s and Ladbrokes.
Football League chairman Greg Clarke said the new agreement took its relationship with Sky to a new level.”
The deal follows two weeks after Sky Bet became the official betting and gaming partner of English second-tier team Leeds United, the first time the betting brand had directly partnered with a football club.
Alderney-licensed Sky Bet, which also operates the successful Sky Vegas, Sky Poker and Sky Bingo brands, has been one of the fastest-growing UK operators in recent years. Revenues grew by 43% from £79m to £113m last year, a performance which earned it the coveted eGaming Review Operator of the Year award for 2012.
Article written by Peter Holmes
