Asian sportsbook Letou inks Swansea sponsorship deal
UK-licensed operator pledges to support local charities as part of agreement
Asian sportsbook operator Letou has agreed a deal to become the front-of-shirt sponsor for Premier League side Swansea City.
Letou, which also holds a UK licence, will replace fellow Asian operator BetEast on Swansea’s shirts for the upcoming season.
The deal will also see Letou support the Shelter Cymru charity and Disability Sport Wales.
Letou chief executive, Paul Fox said: “It would be easy as an Asian-facing gaming company to sign the cheque and build awareness purely through branding.
“I was brought up in Glasgow and have family in Swansea. So when the opportunity arose to work with Swansea City, it was really important to me that Letou uses our partnership to give back to the community as much as possible.
“We’re donating our corporate hospitality box to homeless charity Shelter Cymru, and handing over our season ticket allocation to Disability Sport Wales.”
Swansea COO Chris Pearlman said the deal would help grow the club’s brand presence in Asia.
“With over a billion people likely to watch the Premier League over the course of the season, a third of the league’s total TV audience, it’s a major partnership that will benefit both parties.
“Letou has a significant global reach, including a strong market share in Asia, and is committed to helping us grow our presence in that part of the world. We believe Letou can help us tell our unique story to a global audience.”
Eleven Premier League teams play with a gambling logo on their shirts, while all 20 have official betting partners.
In related news, LeoVegas also announced it would be replacing 888sport as the shirt sponsor of Championship club Brentford for the next two seasons.
The LeoVegas logo will also appear on Brentford training wear and throughout its home stadium, Griffin Park.
“This partnership marks an exciting growth in our sports offering, and offers the perfect platform for us to engage with more football fans – something which is important for us to do over the coming months as we focus on the evolution of our sports betting product,” said Jon Sinclair, head of LeoVegas in the UK and Ireland.
The Swedish brand has been building its roster of sports sponsorships in recent months, signing deals with Leicester Tigers rugby club and professional golfer Mathias Schjølberg.