Newly promoted to English football’s elite, Fulham secured a sponsorship deal with online betting company W88 ahead of a vote due in September to debate the future of deals in this sector with Premier League clubs.
The sports betting branding will appear on the front of the men’s and women’s team shirts next season, which starts in August. This is not the first time that the W88 has closed with a team from the English top division, as it has already had partnerships with Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Leicester in previous seasons.
Hilly Ehrlich, Business Development Manager at W88, commented: “We are proud and excited to be partnering with London’s oldest professional football club, Fulham FC, in their return to the top flight of English football.”
“We are also looking forward to engaging with their passionate global fanbase over the coming season and delivering innovative content with the club. With a global presence, W88 is a brand that stands for integrity, trust and excellence and we will be actively promoting responsible gaming.”
Details of the new W88 sports agreement
In addition to its brand in a prominent position in Fulham’s upcoming games, the company will feature visibility on LED billboards at the stadium at Craven Cottage and opportunities for digital and social content generation.
However, The Athletic revealed that some Fulham fans had ‘reservations’ about the partnership, reflecting the negative reaction of many Everton fans to the deal with Stake.com.
“We are pleased to welcome W88 as a first-team partner this season in a record-breaking sponsorship deal for the club,” commented Fulham FC Sales Director Jon Don-Carolis.
“The agreement provides significant revenue to help with our commercial objectives, allowing us to compete in a challenging and exciting Premier League campaign,” added Don-Carolis.
Premier League articulates so that bookmaker brands can appear in the sleeves
The Premier League is due to hold a vote on the future of bookmaker sponsorships on football club shirts in the month of September, with the league apparently encouraging clubs to start phasing out such partnerships over the coming seasons.
Originally scheduled for this month, the vote was postponed in conjunction with the review of the Gambling Act because of the political situation and the change of prime minister. This may explain the duration of contact between Fulham and W88 of just one year.
However, the Premier League is also pushing for continued sponsorships on the shirt sleeves, removing gambling market branding from the front of the shirt – meaning the W88 could retain visibility on the partner club’s kit, but relocating your brand to another space.
