Football Clubs Drop Gambling Sponsors
Data shows that English football clubs are turning their backs on sponsorship deals with gambling firms. Figures show a decline in gambling sponsorships across a variety of sports. Some clubs are concerned that the government will ban betting shirt sponsors, as pressure from campaigners and MPs mounts on the issue.
New figures show that construction and engineering firms are now the top sponsors of professional sports teams in England. ©Dom Le Roy/Pexels
Pressure from Campaigners
Figures compiled by marketing agency Caytoo show that the number of betting and gaming sponsorships in football, rugby and cricket has virtually halved in the last two years. The gambling industry is now responsible for 8.1% of these sponsorships. That’s a significant drop on the figure of 15.3% in 2019, when gambling held the top spot.
Since then, three other sectors have overtaken gambling in terms of sponsoring professional sports teams. At the top, construction and engineering firms hold 11.2 % of sponsorship deals. Meanwhile, automotive companies and financial services are responsible for 9.4% and 8.5% respectively.
The gambling sector’s sponsorship share decrease is driven first and foremost by changes in football. The sport has seen an enormous drop in gambling sponsors, from 32.7% to 15.2.%. Despite this big change gambling is still the most prevalent sponsor in football. In rugby that spot now goes to financial services, and in cricket automotive and construction and engineering are the most prevalent.
Caytoo noted these shifts in marketing trends in its biennial analysis of the top sponsors in football, rugby and cricket teams in England. The data has been gathered from across 221 teams in thirteen different leagues and competitions. The analysis only takes into account the principal partners of the sports clubs, not their second tier or other partners.
The main driver for the shift is pressure for professional sports to be more socially responsible when it comes to signing with sponsors. Campaigners have called on the government to impose a ban on betting and gaming firms sponsoring football shirts, in order to protect fans and communities from gambling harms.
Concerns have been raised that gambling ads have become too ubiquitous with football, which could normalize gambling from a young age and pose a risk to those most vulnerable to problem gambling. Ministers are currently reviewing the 2005 Gambling Act, which could result in a ban on gambling firms sponsoring sports. It has been reported that the Prime Minister would back that move.
The evidence now shows that clubs have heard that message loud and clear, and are distancing themselves from gambling sponsors. In line with social pressures, the second biggest drop in prevalence has been seen in sponsorships from alcohol companies. Environmental services and healthcare are amongst the sectors that have seen the biggest increases.
Norwich Ditch BK8
Caytoo’s analysis highlights Norwich City FC as a prime example of the impact that societal pressure has on clubs. Earlier this year, on June 5th, the club signed a lucrative deal with Asian gambling operator BK8. The deal was set to last for a year and would have made BK8 the club’s main shirt sponsor.
However, the partnership soon came under fire after fans uncovered some of the online bookmaker’s provocative social media campaigns. The marketing materials, published widely across BK8’s various channels, featured young women in revealing clothing and provocative poses. The contract, valued at around £5 million, was cancelled after a matter of days.
BK8 had hoped that its sponsorship deal with Norwich City would increase its brand recognition and customer base in the UK. As the club’s principal partner, the BK8 logo was featured on the front of player shirts and training kits for the new season. A bespoke colorway was designed in green and yellow, to tie in with the Canaries’ existing visual identity.
Norwich City were promoted back into the Premier League this season, making them a great sponsorship choice for BK8. The deal was reported to have been its biggest UK sponsorship, replacing Dafabet as the Canaries’ shirt sponsor.
The club has since replaced its deal with BK8 for one with Lotus Cars, which is based in Norfolk. The automotive company recently announced plans to invest £2.5 billion in switching to production of only electric vehicles. Green credentials such as these make firms attractive to clubs and their fans.
Changing Trends
The marketing agency’s analysis shows that in contrast to the gambling sector, other sectors have seen the biggest increase in the number of new main sponsorships. For example, IT services and software increased by eight new sponsors, while telecoms increased by four new sponsors. Automotive sponsors increased by five, driven by online retailers.
Caytoo says that this shift reflects the impact that the coronavirus pandemic has had on marketing trends. The lockdowns and rise in home-working have accelerated the transition to a more digital world. As such, companies that primarily operate online and offer services within that sphere are now dominating.
The growing prevalence of IT services and software companies sponsoring team sports is closely linked with the rise of women’s teams. Deals with female teams account for six of the eight new sponsors. Companies are becoming increasingly aware that they can gain valuable exposure and recognition by sponsoring women’s teams.
The shift towards more recognition and respect for female professional sports is positive. In June, it was announced that Debbie Hewitt MBE had been nominated to become the first ever female chair at the Football Association in its 157-year history. She is set to take over from her predecessor, in January 2022.
Her appointment exemplifies efforts to make football a more inclusive sport that is more representative of its fans. She will become the permanent replacement for former head of the FA, Greg Clarke. He resigned in 2020 after he was recorded speaking inappropriately about race and sexuality in front of a government committee.
His career was marked by a number of such instances, which reflected badly on the governing body. The FA is happy to move on and portray itself as an organization that is diverse and supports equality. It is expected that under Hewitt’s leadership, it will do even more to promote parity for women’s football teams.
