The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), the national men’s association football league in Scotland, has announced a landmark five-year title sponsorship deal with William Hill, a leading British betting company.
This record-breaking agreement commences at the start of the 2024/25 season.
Under the partnership, the gambling entity becomes the official title sponsor for all four SPFL divisions: the Premiership, Championship, League 1, and League 2. The leagues will be renamed to reflect this sponsorship, becoming the William Hill Premiership, William Hill Championship, William Hill League 1, and William Hill League 2. Additionally, William Hill will be the SPFL’s official betting partner.
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. In addition to the sponsorship with William Hill, our pioneering gambling harm awareness programme with EPIC will help to educate the communities across the 42 SPFL clubs on gambling harm prevention.
“Everyone at the SPFL is looking forward to working with William Hill to promote the passion, drama and excitement of the League and its 42 clubs over the next five seasons, as well as the roll-out of our programme with EPIC. 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 and wish them and their management team the very best for the future.”
Michael Sheehan, William Hill’s, Marketing Director, said, “We’re delighted to become title sponsor and Official Betting Partner of the SPFL, as well as launching a pioneering Gambling Harm Awareness programme, delivered by EPIC. For decades, we at William Hill have loved Scottish football and its fiercely loyal and passionate fans. Now, building on our long-standing association with Scottish football, we are delighted to be playing our part in five exciting seasons of the SPFL.
“In addition to our sponsorship, we will work proactively and extensively to raise awareness of the potential risks associated with betting across the Scottish footballing community. As a business, we place customer safety and responsible gambling at the heart of everything we do, and we are looking forward to delivering an extensive programme across SPFL clubs to educate and promote healthy and safe relationships with betting.”
The search for a new SPFL title sponsor was led by Brendan Napier of Scottish Football Marketing, a joint venture between the SPFL, The Scottish FA and the Scottish Women’s Premier League, 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.”
This partnership goes beyond financial gain. William Hill and the SPFL have committed to a multi-year program focused on gambling harm awareness in collaboration with EPIC Global Solutions. This initiative will provide educational resources and support programs for players, staff, and supporters throughout Scottish football.
Founded in 1934, William Hill is a well-established British gambling company offering sports betting, casino games, poker, and bingo. Currently owned by 888 Holdings, the company boasts a long history in the gambling industry with headquarters in London.