Birmingham’s Aston Villa Football Club has allegedly inked a profitable new jersey sponsorship agreement with sports wagering firm Betano. The agreement is rumored to be the largest in Villa’s existence.
The English top-flight club has been in discussions with the internet sportsbook provider for a period, as per a story in The Daily Telegraph. Presently, Villa’s jerseys are sponsored by another betting name, BK8. That arrangement, signed in June 2023, is expected to continue for three seasons, concluding at the end of the 2025/26 season.
Nevertheless, the fresh contract with Betano sets a new benchmark for Villa, with the company purportedly disbursing £20 million ($25.2 million) each season over the subsequent two seasons. The agreement aligns with the unveiling of the club’s latest Adidas uniforms.
It is speculated that the Betano agreement holds double the value of the existing agreement with BK8, as the club aims to elevate commercial earnings.
The two-year agreement is probably a calculated maneuver considering that such sponsorships will be prohibited from the forefront of Premier League shirts starting from the 2026/27 season. This follows a decision by leading clubs last April to bar gambling sponsors from featuring on the front of game-day shirts.
Betano maintains a notable presence in football, encompassing collaborations with competitions like the UEFA European Championship 2024 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They also hold agreements with entities such as the Romanian Football Federation (FRF) and serve as the primary jersey sponsor for Portuguese team, FC Porto.
I contacted the Betano operators, Kaizen Gaming, to understand their perspective on the matter.
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