Betway Announces Exclusive Partnership With FC Schalke 04
Betway has officially partnered with FC Schalke 04 to exclusively sponsor their kit and stadium for the next three years, with an option to extend. After an extensive negotiation period, an agreement was reached between the two parties to make Betway an exclusive sponsor, increasing their profile associated with the Royal Blue’s. The deal lasts until 2024 with an option to extend if necessary.
FC Schalke 04 recently announced a new sponsorship agreement with Germany online platform, Betway. The deal is set to expire in 2024, as Schalke look to make additions to their squad after their shocking relegation last season. ©AidenHowe/Pixabay
The partnership will officially commence on July 1st, which was also the 2021/22 kit release day. The Betway logo will feature on the front and back of the strip as well as numerous large advertisements in and around the stadium and training ground. The partnership has garnered several criticisms from German media, as gambling advertising within football isn’t a common practice for Bundesliga 1/2 sides.
Despite the negative press, the deal is justifiable in terms of monetary value alone. Sponsorship of this size is expected to add €10-20million to their annual transfer budget, a massive step up from their domestic competitors. However, while the German footballing board has approved the partnership, this may not stop broadcasters from sanctioning their matches and showing them less.
Betway has garnered quite a reputation in the European footballing world, whilst FC Schalke 04 is their latest acquisition; they have partnered with West Ham United in the English Premier League for years. Since 2015, the North London side have featured the Betway logo on every strip since the initial sponsorship agreement. West Ham’s home venue, The Olympic Stadium, also features several Betway advertisements both outside and inside the ground.
As well as football, they have sponsored NBA sides such as the Chicago Bulls, The New York Islanders in the NHL and also several World Snooker tournaments. The 2020 World Snooker Championship won by Australian Neil Robertson was the sixth tournament under the Betway signature. Savvy marketing has lead the online betting site to sponsor eSports organizations such as Ninjas in Pyjamas, who compete in several competitions but are mainly known for Counter Strike: Global Offensive.
FC Schalke’s Miserable 2020 Campaign
FC Schalke’s 2020/21 season can only be described as one of the greatest failings in German football history. One of the most well-supported clubs in the country somehow managed to slip out of the Bundesliga after a dreadful season. Some laughable stats emerged including five managers in a single season, 41 different players fielded and most embarrassing of all, only three wins throughout the entire 34 game campaign.
Considering that FC Schalke were Bundesliga runners-up in 2018, it’s almost impossible to convene how quickly they have fallen from Champions League football to out of the Bundesliga completely. Before the season began, expectations were high. Key signings of former Arsenal defenders, Shkodran Mustafi and Sead Kolašinac, looked like excellent choices at the time, especially as Kolašinac played for the Royal Blue’s only five years before his move to the Gunners.
Despite their massive setback, FC Schalke are now looking to the future and want to gain promotion back to the Bundesliga as soon as possible. Player-manager Dimitrios Grammozis looks like a suitable candidate, who will hopefully last longer than his predecessors. They have a massive mountain to climb, and the Betway partnership couldn’t come at a better time for the West German side.
Many fans and journalists blame the Corona Virus epidemic for FC Schalke’s internal collapse. Certainly, it had a major impact on the club’s finances but also the availability of players and coaching staff. They were forced to sell their rising star Weston McKennie to Juventus to facilitate operations. Without the budget to purchase adequate replacements, the monumental slump began, and after football returned a year later, FC Schalke would find themselves out of Germany’s top flight.
