Ladbrokes seals FA sponsorship deal
Magic Sign replaces William Hill as official betting partner of the English Football Association
Ladbrokes will become the official betting partner of the English Football Association (The FA) as it continues to ramp-up marketing investment in a bid to become the number one bookie for football.
The Magic Sign this morning said it had secured a “long-term agreement” with The FA, including premium brand exposure across all England senior men’s international matches and all rounds of the Emirates FA Cup.
The package, which commences on 1 August, also includes in-stadia betting rights for Wembley Stadium, which Ladbrokes said would enable it to engage with both its current audience and drive new customer acquisition around showpiece events held at the stadium.
Earlier this year, EGR reported that Ladbrokes and Betfred were in the mix for The FA deal to replace current betting partner William Hill, whose deal expires next month.
As part of his three-year strategy announced last year, Ladbrokes chief executive Jim Mullen said he planned to turn Ladbrokes into the go-to bookmaker for the football punter and today described the sport as “the holy grail of sporting sponsorship opportunities”.
“We are absolutely delighted to have secured exclusive rights that will see Ladbrokes at the beating heart of the beautiful game,” Mullen said.
“When I became CEO last year I announced that the Ladbrokes organic growth plan would require us to ramp-up our marketing spend in those places where we know our customers are engaged.
“Being at the heart of football in this country is precisely what I had in mind. We’re keen to invest where we know we can make a difference and this deal further strengthens the sporting passion that is evident throughout Ladbrokes,” he added.
Ladbrokes CMO Kristof Fahy obviously sees value in the partnership, having led William Hill’s successful negotiations with The FA back in 2012.
“As official partner, we want to be much more than a company which hands over a cheque, sits back and hopes for the best,” Fahy said this morning.
“As the best known brand in bookmaking, we have the passion and drive to ensure our customers and football fans alike can immerse themselves in all that makes English football so brilliant,” he added.
The deal gives Ladbrokes a prominent position in football both north and south of the border with the operator currently the headline sponsor of the Scottish Professional Football League. William Hill remains the sponsor of The Scottish FA after having extended that deal last year.