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Rob Painter, Marketing Director  of SkyBet  and Iain Webb, Partnerships Manager of Fulham Football Club discuss Football Club betting sponsorships and marketing.  The panel gives insight into brokering football sponsorship agreements with sports betting operators, their concerns on future restrictions of gambling advertisement and mistakes witnessed  when negotiating partnerships with English Football Clubs.

SBC Session Notes

• Painter opens the panel by discussing SkyBet’s sponsorship of the Football League and his experience in managing sponsorship operations . Painter states that this deal involved 6 months of planning, and that in order to optmise SkyBet coverage, the operator had to seek third party agency help, since not even Sky could have the resources to cater branding throughout 72 football league clubs.
• Painter states that sponsorship fails when bookmakers or igaming operators simply look for brand coverage. Painter tells the audience that operators need to understand how to value and benchmark sponsorship metrics – this will allow for better valuation of the sponsorship and what has been achieved by the practice.
• Iain Webb tells the audience that they need to be prepared and gather knowledge of the football club they wish to sponsor. Many advertisers simply come ‘cash in hand’, but  do not understand the dynamics and key demographics of the football club they wish to partner with.
• Painter / Webb – Stadium WIFI coverage is still a critical issue as the majority of clubs have limited to no Wifi access even at Premier League grounds which are amongst the best in Europe. Although beneficial to betting sponsorship partners, Painter fears that football clubs may over price this service, and not make it worthwhile to potential partners.
• Painter – Sponsors have to create constant activity and involvement with the Sponsored football clubs, this should include exclusive coverage on digital and social media verticals. Too many sponsorships will simply be treated as corporate jollys, betting operators should look to be proactive and gain beneficial impacts to all their channels – affiliates, search marketing, SEO and mobile.

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