Sky Bet will remain the English Football League (EFL)‘s official sponsor until the end of the 2028-29 campaign after the sports betting and gaming brand and the league signed a five-year contract extension.
Rights Fee Increases by 50%
The contract extension builds on a decade-long partnership between Sky Bet and the EFL and will increase the rights fee paid by the betting and gaming brand by 50%, providing more for the league clubs and supporting the league’s objective of making the clubs across all divisions of the EFL financially sustainable.
EFL chief executive, Trevor Birch, hailed the important role played by Sky Bet for over a decade, serving as “a valuable partner for EFL clubs” by supporting their efforts for sustained investments and helping them “navigate a volatile financial landscape.”
“We have consistently seen our partnership evolve to move with the times and, with [the] 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,” Birch said, thanking Sky Bet on behalf of the clubs for its “ongoing support.”
Sky Bet will continue to be the Official Title Partner of the Sky Bet EFL and Sky Bet Play-Offs globally, as well as the rights to award the official Manager, Player and Goal of the Month awards, and the seasonal “Golden Boot” and “Golden Glove” in each of the divisions.
“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,” said Sky Bet chief commercial officer Steve Birch, delighted that Sky Bet “can go one step further” and “make a real difference for people across England and Wales.”
Financial Support for Communities
The new deal will see Sky Bet contribute £1 million ($1.25 million) per season to the Sky Bet EFL Community Fund, a new investment vehicle created for communities across England and Wales where the EFL clubs are based through which the EFL and Sky Bet will deliver upon mutually agreed by the Club Community Organisations (CCOs) and the EFL Trust initiatives.
The partnership will continue to be built around safer gambling as both sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on how to deliver on joint objectives in a socially responsible way. In the MoU, both Sky Bet and the EFL committed to promoting the product in a way that protects children and other vulnerable groups.
Finally, the EFL and Sky Bet agreed to share with the government, sports and sector stakeholders learnings and insights from their partnership, which is one of the longest in UK professional sport, to help inform the new sports sponsorship Code of Conduct that will be developed in accordance to the Gambling Act Review White Paper’s recommendations.