SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Midnite is sponsoring free-to-air broadcaster 5’s UK coverage of the FIFA Club World Cup which begins on Saturday (14 June).
Hosted in the USA, 5 is airing 23 of the 63 matches – which will now each feature the bookmaker’s branding during live coverage as well as on the daily magazine show, The Press.
The Press is presented by James Allcott and Julien Laurens who analyse the day’s matches on the main 5 channel and on 5’s streaming service, as well as YouTube highlights and social media content.
Andrew Mook, who was appointed as Head Of Brand Marketing at Midnite last month, said: “We’re thrilled to sponsor 5’s coverage of the FIFA Club World Cup and to bring fans even closer to the biggest football event of the summer.
“At Midnite, we’re all about connecting our players with the games they love and this high-profile sponsorship is a perfect way to showcase what we do best. It’s another important step in our brand exposure strategy, with plenty more exciting activities on the horizon.
“Midnite is being crafted to give sports fans the best possible betting experience, and supporting 5’s broadcast of the FIFA Club World Cup is another step in that journey. With world-class clubs on display, it’s a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the global passion for football and our dedication to innovation in the gaming space.”
Midnite’s sportsbook was launched in 2018 by Nick Wright and Daniel Qu, who previously created daily fantasy sports platform Dribble in partnership with Sky Bet.
This latest venture is significant for the firm, with clubs competing in the tournament like Chelsea and Manchester City from the UK; Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich amongst the other European clubs and international clubs such as Inter Miami and Boca Juniors.
“We’re proud to bring free-to-air coverage of the FIFA Club World Cup to viewers across the UK, as we grow 5’s line-up of live sport,” added Lee Sears, President International Advertising and Brand Studios, Paramount Global.
“The tournament is set to be one of the sporting events of the summer and with most matches airing in peak time and 32 of the world’s biggest clubs involved, our new partnership with Midnite provides a fantastic opportunity for the brand to reach football fans across 5’s platforms at scale.”
High-profile marketing
Midnite continues to bolster ambitions to become the UK’s most disruptive online gambling venture. In April, it completed a successful Series B funding round by raising $10m (£8m) in venture capital.
Since then, Midnite has continued to go full force with several UK-facing sports deals. It recently announced a sponsorship of this year’s World Snooker Championship which included significant brand visibility as well as a series of fan-facing activations.
It also launched its first TV ad campaign in March, which aired across Sky, Channel 4 and Channel 5, covering both linear TV and streaming platforms. The campaign was designed to support Midnite’s brand purpose: ‘getting closer to the games you love’.
