Bet365 continues full force into US market as WNBA team sponsor

Bet365 has become the official sports betting partner of Chicago Sky as the British bookmaker continues to pursue its US growth journey.

The company’s logo will be displayed around the home of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team. It will appear behind the basket on the north end of the court, along with the center pole pad on both home and visiting team baskets. 

Bet365branding will also be featured on social media, broadcast, digital and in-arena promotional marketing products.

A bet365 spokesperson commented: “Our partnership with the Chicago Sky has us floating on cloud nine and is the perfect opportunity for our expansion into the WNBA. We can’t wait to share our never ordinary betting experience with Sky fans.”

Bet365’s sponsorship comes as the popularity of the WNBA is on the rise in the US. This is partially due to one of Chicago Sky players, Angel Reese – who, with a huge amount of followers on social media, engages a lot of younger and more diverse audiences.

In particular, she became a household name during the 2023 NCAA championship run, and also holds several partnerships with brands such as Reebok and Coach.

“The Chicago Sky are thrilled to partner with bet365 to align with a growing sports trend that brings new visibility to the WNBA and the Chicago Sky,” added Alex Teodosi, Chicago Sky’s Vice President of Corporate Partnerships. 

“We look forward to bringing great new sports betting opportunities to Sky fans, while always encouraging responsible betting and positivity towards our players.”

Rapid US growth

Since 2020, the gambling group has formed several deals in professional American sports such as baseball, basketball and hockey. 

It was only in 2019 that the operator made its debut in the region, and has since grown to operate in 13 different markets; Illinois, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia.

With the US being well known for its passionate sports fans, Stoke-on-Trent headquartered bet365 recognised that this, combined with the already-existing betting culture (such as fantasy sports etc), could be a great opportunity for expansion.

Keeping its eyes on expansion, bet365 recently took a big step when it comes to advocating for the growth of sports betting. This month, the operator joined the Sports Betting Alliance (SBA), a coalition which already consisted of FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and Fanatics Sportsbook.

Bet365 now works with members in the hopes to stamp out illegal and unregulated betting and bring regulated sports betting to all 50 states.

In its full year report for 2024, US expansion contributed to global sports and gaming revenue of $4.6bn (£3.62bn) and $145.8m (£108.1bn) operating profit. Although specific 2025 US-only figures have not yet been released, growth is expected to remain steady.

The WNBA sponsorship comes as a recent UK report suggests that bet365 CEO and majority shareholder Denise Coates is considering a full or partial sale of the gambling brand.

A deal could put bet365’s total value at around $16bn, as per a report from The Guardian.