Sportsbet.io inks one-year shirt sponsorship with Southampton

Sportsbet.io has agreed a one-year deal to become the main club partner and front-of-shirt sponsor for Premier League side Southampton.

The logo of the Coingaming Group sportsbook brand will feature on the front of Saints’ first team and under-23 team shirts during the 2020/21 season, which begins on 12 September.

The crypto-centric brand is understood to have stepped in at short notice to become the Saints sponsor after the club’s existing deal with Chinese sports streaming and content site LD Sports collapsed.

“Over the last week, we have endeavoured to secure confirmation that LD Sports are still an appropriate and viable partner for the club, but have been left with no alternative other than to end the partnership today with immediate effect,” the club said in a statement.

However, the English version of the LD Sports site still carries links to the Southampton FC website, as well as information about the club.

Southampton players L Oriol Romeu, James Ward-Prowse Alex McCarthy with the 2020/21 shirts

Coingaming Group CEO Tim Heath said he was thrilled to conclude the deal, citing Saints’ ambitions as mirrored in the cryptocurrency sportsbook brand.

“Sportsbet.io shares the club’s desire to disrupt its industry and increase its global reach. We’re proud to be able to contribute to the Saints and support such a prestigious team which has been around for nearly 135 years,” Heath added.

Following the collapse of the LD Sports agreement, Southampton has temporarily halted all sales of home, away and third kits.

The club has asked fans to remain patient while the club resolves the “extremely complex situation” and provides updated shirts to those who have already purchased LD Sports-emblazoned tops.

Southampton FC CCO David Thomas welcomed Sportsbet.io as the new main partner, highlighting the firm’s responsible gambling credentials.

“They are fully committed to providing a safe place where people can enjoy their games responsibly and have a world-class social responsibility team in place,” said Thomas.

“The club will work with Sportsbet.io and our local community to promote this important social responsibility message over the course of the upcoming year,” he added.

Southampton inked a three-year shirt sponsorship deal with LD Sports at the start of the 2019/20 season to mark the biggest sponsorship deal in the club’s history.

However, questions were raised about the business which had yet to launch in the UK at the time of the deal.

Southampton is 80% owned by Chinese businessman Gao Jisheng, founder of China’s Lander Sports agency, which bought a majority stake in the club in 2017 for a reported fee of £200m.

The Premier League later launched an investigation into alleged Chinese influence after Jisheng sold shares in Lander Sports to the Chinese government. This was later concluded with no further action taken.