When the Premier League was first created at the beginning of the nineties, you would struggle to watch a match without teams possessing an alcohol, cigarette or electrical brand on the front of their shirts. Those industries, particularly the latter, were on the up within the most popular demographics, so it made sense for English football's top teams to align themselves with companies who had the potential to be long-term players in the market. However, while such industries have been phased out to a certain extent, clubs are now far more interested in securing partnerships with betting companies around the world.
Like punters go searching for with the latest casino brands in the UK, some clubs are eager to search for the best value for money they can get. The likes of Manchester United and Liverpool can afford to target specific brand names, aware that the bigger businesses will not bat an eyelid in stumping up the money to feature on their kits. However, once you come outside of the so-called top six in the Premier League, it is a different story with the other clubs looking to bolster their global appeal in areas of the world where their name is barely mentioned.
Coincidence does not come into it when you see many teams becoming associated with a betting company from Asia. Companies want a piece of the Premier League pie and are prepared to pay a sizeable fee per year to see their brand broadcast to millions of people on television. While other businesses are paying anything upward of £5m to feature on the shirts of the elite clubs, there is an understanding that any team from seventh to 20th will be prepared to negotiate terms for half of that fee. In previous seasons, figures have generally ranged between £1m and £2m, but that was only on an upward trajectory before the implications of the coronavirus pandemic.
During the 2020-21 campaign, 16 of the 20 Premier League clubs have a link-up with a gambling company in some capacity. While only half of those feature the brand name on the front of their shirt, there is money to be made for sleeve deals and training wear. It is far more complex than it was several years ago, but the progress of both the Premier League and the brands associated with them shows what can be achieved when such partnerships can be put together.
Whether that continues remains to be seen. With more betting names getting involved season on season, the British government are coming under increasing pressure to put regulations in place to decrease the influence on its national sport. At a time when Premier League clubs have agreed to help EFL sides during a critical financial period for the sport, it feels unlikely that such subjects will be fiercely debated, but it may at least leave teams to consider other avenues to explore over the coming years.
