Coral becomes betting partner of Birmingham City

Coral has been named the official UK betting partner of Birmingham City FC.

The British bookmaker, owned by Entain, signed a multi-year deal with the club that began on Saturday (1 March) and will run through to the end of the 2027/28 football season.

The company’s branding will be displayed pitch-side on the club’s new digital screens and perimeter boards at St. Andrew’s Stadium.

Charlotte Emery, Chief Marketing Officer at Coral, commented: “Having made the decision to return the Coral brand to football, it was key we partnered with a club that not only has a similarly long history to our own, but is also looking firmly to the future, with a long-term plan for success.”

Coral is responsible for two of the longest-running sponsorships in UK sport – the Coral Welsh Grand National since 1973, and the Coral-Eclipse since 1976. It is also the longest-standing commercial sponsor at the Cheltenham Festival since 1974.

The partnership with recently-relegated Birmingham launched over the weekend to coincide with the team’s top of the table League One match against Wycombe Wanderers.

Emery added: “Most importantly, we wanted to work with a club that shares our passion to put the fans first. We know Birmingham City FC and its fans are on a great journey, and we are thrilled that Coral will be here for that journey every step of the way.”

Notably, the deal will see the British betting brand look to ‘reward and entertain’ Blues’ supporters with engaging content and activations. 

These will include acting as the official goal sponsor, collaborating in the fan park ahead of matchdays and providing fans with what it described as ‘once in a lifetime experiences’.

“We are thrilled to welcome Coral onboard as the latest partner to join us on our exciting journey,” emphasised Birmingham City CEO, Jeremy Dale. “In Coral, we are entering a partnership with a brand which puts the customer at the heart of its operation, something we care deeply about here at Blues with our supporters. 

“We are aligned on our values and share a burning ambition to deliver an excellent product which our supporters can be proud of. 

“This isn’t a journey we will go on alone and we are delighted that Coral has chosen to embark on this adventure with us. We love the focus on fans from Coral so it was very simple to build a programme that we both embraced.”

This is not the club’s first forray into betting. In 2021, BoyleSports was secured as principal partner until the end of the 2020/21 season which saw the bookmaker’s logo displayed on the front of the men’s team playing kit and replica shirts, replacing the previous 888Sport logo.