Just last week, Aston Villa FC confirmed EnergyBet as its official UK and European betting partner for the 2016/17 season. The Birmingham based club, relegated from the Premier League for the first time in May, have agreed to work with the UK-licensed online betting operator, a new product from EnergyCasino, who will also be working with League Two side Leyton Orient for the next two years.
Here at SBC, we were quite surprised to see the deal announced just two days before the Championship season kicked off with Fulham vs Newcastle United at Craven Cottage.
However, we caught up with Simona Pinterova, PR Manager for EnergyCasino, who insisted that they have no problems with the timing of the announcement and the launch of the product.
“Everything with Aston Villa FC has gone very smoothly from the beginning. Ideally we would have launched EnergyBet a little sooner, but we want to make sure that everything is technically perfect on our side before we go live. Our business ethos is centred around flexibility, so we were well-prepared to work with any delays, and we are confident of a successful launch to this partnership.”
Pinterova confirmed that the company is excited about the geographical reach they will have across the UK market, comfortable with the different nature of the two deals, and confident that the Aston Villa partnership will be valuable, even though QuickBooks will remain as the club’s main sponsor.
“The decision to sponsor a major English club is a calculated part of our launch strategy, focusing on the UK market. We are already shirt and stadium sponsors for London based League Two club Leyton Orient, and the Aston Villa partnership will, quite literally, take things into a different league. Geographically spreading from South East England to the West Midlands, the deal will also mean we have a visible presence in both the capital and second city of the UK; not bad for a new start-up.
“The deal with Aston Villa is not as comprehensive at the one we have with Leyton Orient. At Villa Park we will have a lot of exposure in the grounds, with time on the LED perimeter boards and on the in-stadium screens. Whereas with Leyton Orient we are home and away shirt sponsors, plus we have a lot more branding at the stadium. With Aston Villa there will also be cross-promotion on the web and social media, but not to the extent that we have with Leyton Orient.
“QuickBooks is Aston Villa’s main sponsor, whereas EnergyBet is the betting partner. Obviously QuickBooks will receive the lion’s share of publicity at Villa Park, being on the shirts, and getting much more visibility from the web and social media. But, considering how much bigger Aston Villa is than Leyton Orient, we are confident that the partnership will deliver exceptional value for our brand.”
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EnergyCasino has been confirmed as an Affiliate and Media event sponsor for Betting on Sports!
Click here to join them at the Grange Tower Bridge Hotel, London, on September 15 & 16.
Or get in touch with [email protected] for more information!