Sports sponsorships in the global betting and gaming industry never sleep. This week alone has already produced some huge deals, which will be seen by millions of sports fans around the world.
This edition of Sponsor Spotlight is our most packed yet, bringing you a full week of partnerships galore as operators across the world prepare for the return of domestic football while World Cup hype settles into memory.
Superbet dunks in Serbia
Superbet, the betting brand of Romania-based Super, has become the exclusive betting partner of both the men’s and women’s handball and volleyball clubs sanctioned by the Red Star Sports Association in Serbia.
The deal will contribute to an increase in the market share of Superbet in the Balkan country, with Serbia frequently identified as one of the five core jurisdictions for Super’s global portfolio.
BOYLE Sports leads key Premier League deal
BOYLE Sports will now enter the new football season as the official betting partner of Leeds United for both UK and Irish audiences.
Sharp-eyed football fans will be able spot BOYLE branding across Leeds’ Elland Road homegrounds, with additional digital marketing campaigns scheduled in the pipeline.
Putting pen to paper with the PL side, BOYLE Sports will now have a presence across both the top-flight competition of English football and the Championship through its previous deal with West Ham United.
1xBet gallops towards Gowran Park
The Cyprus-based operator has entered into a definitive agreement with the Irish racecourse. Racegoers or those watching from home will see the 1xBet brand proudly displayed across 15 National Hunt and flat races over the next 12 months.
Vice versa, the operator will also offer exclusive markets throughout the horse racing calendar.
VERSUSbet adds flavour for Real Madrid fans
A few weeks ago we announced that VERSUSbet has partnered with Real Madrid to bring the club closer to its fans in Brazil.
Now, SBC Media has managed to bag an exclusive interview with the operator’s parent company, with Chief Marketing Officer Fernando, Mármol Manzanares, explaining how the strategic partnership will play into VERSUSbet’s wider expansion strategy in Brazil.
Coral washes ashore in Birmingham
Entain’s Coral brand has landed on Birmingham City FC’s front-of-shirt kits, marking the second Championship partnership on this list ahead of the football season.
The front-of-shirt deal is the first-ever such opportunity for Coral across its entire 100-year history. Meanwhile, Birmingham City is also looking to reach new heights thanks to a high-profile investment.
Betano to stay in the Dragons’ den
The betting brand has extended its front-of-shirt partnership with FC Porto, coming out of a previous five-year linkup.
The Dragons enter the new season as the crowned Liga Portugal champions – a status that is bound to increase the commercial opportunities for both the team and its long-term sponsor.
As part of the extended deal, Betano has also put the same level of trust into FC Porto’s Women’s Team where it will also act as the front-of-shirt sponsor.
Betclic becomes title sponsor in France
The third-tier professional football league in France will carry the name Betclic Ligue 3 for the next three seasons.
This builds up on Betclic’s presence in French football since 2021, and is set to leverage the operator’s market know-how and marketing expertise to take the league on to its next chapter.
Millwall FC bags SBK as betting partner
Three for three, yet another Championship club has managed to reach a sponsorship agreement with a betting brand. This time around its Millwall FC and SBK, the brand of Smarkets.
Fans of the Southeast London football club will see the SBK logo placed on Millwall’s back-of-shirt and shorts during the 2026/27 campaign.
Spotlight rankings: Who’s standing out?
1. VERSUSbet/Real Madrid
We have to make this our first entry on today’s rankings purely for the value added from the exclusive insights behind the deal, and the additional context of what it means for the wider Brazilian market.
2. BOYLE Sports/Leeds United
Football-wise, this is the biggest partnership on the list today. The Premier League is among the most watched football tournaments in the world, which sets the BOYLE logo to appear on millions of TV screens.
3. Betano/FC Porto
Portugal is a key market for Betano, with the firm ranked second on the Blask Index just behind Betclic. Partnering with FC Porto, one of just two Portuguese clubs to have won the Champions League, will give the firm great visibility as it pushes for more market share.
4. Coral/Birmingham City
Premier League front-of-shirts are now off limits, making the Championship much more valuable for UK-focused brands, and working with a historic club like Birmingham could prove useful for Coral’s owner Entain as it campaigns against unlicensed betting marketing in the Premier League.
5. 1xBet/Gowran Park
The horse racing industry has recently found itself in constant battles with regulators and scares of dwindling audience numbers, so it’s good to see that operators are still willing to invest in the industry.
6. Superbet/Red Star
Much like BoyleSports’ and Coral’s deals in the UK, working with Red Star’s handball and volleyball teams makes a lot of sense for Superbet as the firm counts Serbia as one of its key markets beyond its home market of Romania. Not only that, but Red Star are a regular in European competition, giving this deal some international prominence too.
7. Betlic/Ligue 3
Carrying the naming rights to a title is quite significant by itself, however Ligue 3 isn’t really a competition that enjoys a major French audience, let alone an international one to rival the likes of the French Ligue 1.
Regardless, increasing the popularity of the competition is exactly what Betclic will work towards over the next three seasons, and there is still a lot of opportunities there to be uncovered.
8. Millwall/SBK
The partnership between SBK and Millwall FC adds to a pile of similar sponsorship deals in the EFL Championship, signifying a shift in branding real estate interest from the Premier League. This of course is to be expected, given the voluntary agreements in place in the latter to phase out front-of-shirt deals in the upcoming season.