Sponsorship opportunities in soccer
Gaming companies extending reach
Integrity and opportunity
The Republic of Ireland completed their summer season of games with a 2-0 defeat to Spain in New York in the early hours of this morning and domestic attention can now return to the Airtricity League where St Patricks Athletic head the table and clubs are preparing for European matches.
The sponsorship scene for clubs here is dominated by the motor trade with Volkswagen dealerships in particular featuring on no fewer than five of the top 12 clubs in the country.
This is in contrast to Britain where betting companies are very much to the fore. It’s not only in the top flight as well, as this week 32Red an online casino and sports book has signed up as main club sponsor with Crawley Town and Newport AFC in the third and fourth tiers of the game.
138.com, a similar site based out of Asia will adorn the shirts of Watford in the Championship next season and gaming companies are looking to extend their association with all levels of what has become the dominant betting sport around the world.
The FAI does not have an official betting partner at present following the ending of a deal with Boylesports at the end of last year and similarly there are few links between clubs and gaming companies. This is despite the success of Paddy Power and others in a global sense and among Ireland’s business elite.
The expansion of support beyond the top flight is based on the increasing number of matches covered online and through video streaming and this may be an opportunity for clubs to build partnerships that will deliver real revenue.
Issues of integrity need to be covered and this was an area where Sport for Business’ most recent Members’ Round Table ventured, and even in light of the 18 month ban handed out to a Longford Town footballer this week, there is still a commercial opportunity as yet largely untapped within Irish soccer.
It is one that is being increasingly seen as one of the most important revenue drivers in the game on an international basis.
Limerick City and Drogheda United are both members of the Sport for Business Community, as are Paddy Power and Bragbet within the betting and gaming sector. Part of our role for members is to highlight areas of potential commercial interest and help facilitate a coming together of organisations that can be of mutual benefit.
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Betting opportunity for Irish soccer?
