The British gambling company, owned by Flutter Entertainment, Sky Bet has signed a five-year sponsorship extension deal with the English Football League (EFL).
In this deal, Sky Bet will continue to remain as the league’s title partner until the end of the 2028/29 season.
We are proud to announce the extension of our @EFL sponsorship, building on a decade-long partnership 📝 https://t.co/Vopv4JumvC
— Sky Bet (@SkyBet) June 7, 2023
The league’s primary goal is to make clubs financially sustainable across all levels, and the new rights fee, which builds on a decade-long collaboration and represents a 50% increase from Sky Bet, will provide significant profits for EFL Clubs.
Additionally, as part of the agreement, Sky Bet will contribute £1 million per season and a total of £6 million to the EFL’s Community Fund, which will be used to support local communities where EFL Clubs are based in England and Wales. With the activities in focus to be jointly decided upon by the organisations, Sky Bet and the EFL will utilise the cash to deliver activity through the EFL Trust and the network of Club Community Organisations (CCOs).
The collaboration, which was initially agreed upon in 2013, is one of the longest and most significant in UK professional sports. It is based on an unambiguous Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two groups that outlines how to accomplish our shared goals in a way that is socially acceptable. Safer gambling has always been at the forefront of this, and rightfully so. At the same time, a structure has been established that enables EPL to engage the millions of EFL fans and connect them with the teams, players, and communities that they are enthusiastic about.
With a renewed commitment from both Sky Bet and the EFL to its strategy in the promotion of the product, the MoU will continue to place the safety of minors and other vulnerable people at its core.
Furthermore, in accordance with the contract, Sky Bet will continue to serve as the global official title partner of the Sky Bet EFL and Sky Bet Play-Offs. The seasonal “Golden Boot” and “Golden Glove” awards in each level, in addition to the official Manager, Player, and Goal of the Month honours, will all be presented by Sky Bet.
Steve Birch, Sky Bet Chief Commercial Officer, commented, “I’m extremely proud of Sky Bet’s ongoing partnership with the EFL and delighted to have reached today’s agreement. Football is central to who we are and it’s great to be able to support the game and provide investment for Clubs across the Pyramid. I’m particularly delighted that we can go one step further today with the announcement of our Sky Bet EFL Community Fund, seeking to make a real difference for people across England and Wales.
“As the recent Sky Bet Play-Off Finals demonstrated, the EFL is going from strength to strength with packed grounds and millions watching games here in the UK and around the world. We are absolutely committed to Safer Gambling, and I’m delighted that our partnership with the EFL shows how responsible betting and gaming operators, and sporting organisations can work together to promote safer gambling and tackle the issue of gambling harm.”
Trevor Birch, EFL, Chief Executive, said, “For over a decade, Sky Bet has been a valuable partner for EFL Clubs, offering sustained investment to help Clubs navigate a volatile financial landscape and ensure fans can enjoy fantastic footballing entertainment in every corner of the country. We have consistently seen our partnership evolve to move with the times and with community at the heart of the EFL, a new community investment fund is perfectly aligned and will help strengthen the partnership’s commitment to social responsibility.
“The Government’s recent Gambling White Paper highlighted the social responsibility measures that have accompanied our partnership with Sky Bet as being an example of good practice for the wider sports sector to learn from and we will look to deepen our commitment to the promotion of safer gambling as part of this extension. On behalf of our Clubs we thank Sky Bet for its ongoing support to English football and we look forward to seeing our much-loved competition develop yet further with the additional certainty this investment provides.”