English Premier League soccer side Aston Villa has reportedly agreed a new front-of-shirt partnership with Greek betting company Betano worth as much as £40 million ($50.3 million).
UK newspaper The Telegraph reported this week (March 21) that Villa will strike a two-year deal with Betano for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, worth around £20 million per year.
Go deeper with GlobalData
If confirmed, Betano will likely become the most lucrative front-of-shirt sponsor in Villa's history, and more than double the club’s current kit sponsorship deal, the $12 million per year tie-up with Asian betting brand BK8.
A three-year deal with BK8 was only agreed in June 2023, but it now seems it will be cut short after only one season.
Following the BK8 deal, Aston Villa fan groups protested the team allying with a company from a taboo sector such as gambling
As Villa are under pressure from the Premier League’s stringent profitability and sustainability rules, maximizing front-of-shirt sponsorship revenue will be vital and gambling firms are the most prominent sector willing to pay significant fees for shirt partnerships.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataThe Midlands club will, through the deal, remain one of eight clubs in the league to sport betting sponsors on its shirt through to the end of the 2025-26 season, when rules banning gambling companies from taking front-of-shirt sponsorships will be put in place.
Villa are also set to switch kit suppliers next season as they have reportedly agreed a new deal with German sportswear giant Adidas, while still under contract with UK manufacturer Castore.
adidas will take over as the team’s kit manufacturer from the 2024-25 season, with Villa’s association with Castore ending after a controversial two seasons.
Other Aston Villa partners include the team’s sleeve sponsor, finance broker Trade Nation, as well as local company Homeserve Furniture Repairs.
Betano in its own right is a global operator with strong soccer links in several global territories, mainly in Europe and South America.
In November 2023, the brand was announced as the official betting partner of this year's UEFA 2024 European Championships.
Betano is the first-ever betting partner of the tournament, while its parent company, Kaizen Gaming, will serve as the official global sponsor of the competition.
Most recently, the gambling company, which operates across South America in Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Ecuador, was announced as a partner of the next two editions of South American soccer’s Copa America competition.
