April 8 – Premier League Southampton have secured shirt sponsor Sportsbet.io for a further three years in what the club is describing as the biggest sponsorship in the club’s history.
Saints agreed a one-year shirt sponsorship with cryptocurrency-based sports betting platform Sportsbet.io last August in a last minute deal to replace Chinese firm LD Sports with less than three weeks before the start of the new season. It also resulted in the club having to stop replica club sales.
The Sportsbet.io brand is owned by the Coingaming Group, specialists in bitcoin betting, and as part of the new deal the club will be paid certain performance-based bonuses in Bitcoin at the end of each season.
Southampton’s chief commercial officer, David Thomas, said: “The team at Sportsbet.io have built a successful business by challenging convention and disrupting the market, but in a responsible way, and their approach to our partnership with them has been no different.
“In a short timeframe they’ve proven to be innovative, forward thinking and extremely supportive of the club, our fans and the wider community, and we’ve welcomed the opportunity to develop and promote safe gambling messages together.”
Since becoming Main Club Partner the brand has worked hard to highlight the importance of safe betting including the launch of their ‘Listen To The Saint In You’ campaign that was launched during Safer Gambling Week, linking up with a number of Saints players to encourage fans to consider the risks before placing a bet.
They have also played a key role in the club’s launch of the Positive Impact Pledge, which enabled start-ups and entrepreneurs to apply for grants to help launch their businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic.
CEO of the Coingaming Group Maarja Pärt, said: “Our first season as Southampton FC’s Main Club Partner has already exceeded all expectations. We’ve been inspired by the passion of the club and its fans, and it was an easy decision for us to extend our partnership with the Saints for another three years.”
No value was given for the sponsorship which will now finish at the end of the 2023-24 season.
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