Scottish soccer’s SPFL league organizing body has concluded a lucrative new five-year title sponsorship deal with sports betting firm William Hill to cover its four tiers.

The “record-breaking” agreement, which begins at the start of the 2024-25 season, is understood to be worth as much as £10 million ($12 million), or £2 million per year.

William Hill will become the title sponsor of all four SPFL divisions as well as the official betting partner of the SPFL. This will see the four SPFL divisions become the William Hill Premiership, William Hill Championship, William Hill League 1, and William Hill League 2.

The bookmaker, owned by betting and gambling group 888 Holdings, will take over from Cinch after the SPFL terminated its previous title sponsorship deal with the used car dealership.

Cinch exited its £1.6 million per year agreement with the SPFL two years early, at the time publicly citing an “evolving” market focus. However, the deal had been previously subject to a years-long dispute with record champions Rangers, who refused to advertise Cinch due to a loophole in the league’s contract.

The Cinch deal was brokered by sports agency GV6 Sport Collective but the new partnership with William Hill has been negotiated by Brendan Napier of Scottish Football Marketing, a joint venture between the SPFL, the Scottish FA, and the Scottish Women’s Premier League, established to act as a central resource for Scottish soccer marketing inventory.

Napier said: “Securing such a well-known, marquee brand as William Hill on a record-breaking deal is a tremendous coup for Scottish football and underscores the attractiveness of our national sport for forward-thinking sponsors.

“It’s early days for Scottish Football Marketing, but today’s announcement sets a very welcome standard for future deals and signals that Scotland’s national sport is well and truly open for business.”

Alongside its partnership and title sponsorship, William Hill and the SPFL have partnered with EPIC Global Solutions – a global consultancy focused on gambling harm prevention – to launch a program on gambling harm awareness across Scottish soccer for SPFL players, staff, and supporters.

EPIC will deliver interactive workshops across all 42 SPFL clubs to educate players and backroom staff on the dangers of gambling harm in the elite sports environment.

William Hill has prior experience in Scottish soccer, having previously served as the sponsor of the country’s Scottish Cup knockout competition between 2011 and 2020.

The betting firm paid £1 million per year for the naming rights to the cup competition in 2011, with renewals in 2014 and 2016 increasing that annual value further.

Neil Doncaster, SPFL group chief executive, said: “William Hill is a name long associated with Scottish football and we are enormously excited to have reached a long-term, record-breaking agreement with our new title sponsors.

“This is tremendous news for our clubs and their fans, for the profile of the league, and for Scottish football in general.

“I would also like to place on record our sincere thanks to Cinch for its extremely positive contribution to Scottish football over the past three years.”

The SPFL this week also agreed a new broadcast deal with UK and Ireland pay-TV network Premier Sports through the 2028-29 season.

Under the five-year agreement, the broadcaster will show 20 live and exclusive Premiership matches each season, starting with the 2024-25 campaign.