After the Wayne Rooney episode we have more proof that top flight football in England lives in a world of its own. Forget top name signings (or-resignings) like Rooney, Van Der Vaart and the little pea, Hernandez; the big money this season is in shirt sponsorship. Despite the recession, and marketing budgets for big brands being cut across the board, it seems there’s always some spare cash to plunge into football.
Recent findings show the English Premier League tops the table as this season’s European leader in shirt sponsorship revenue – leapfrogging deadly rivals the Bundesliga. A recent report from SPORT+MARKT states that Premier League shirt sponsorship is now worth a whopping €128 million – a €45 million increase on last season.
Table:
England – Premier League - €128million
Germany – Bundesliga - €118.5million
Italy – Serie A - €65.9million
France – Ligue 1 - €58.5million
Spain – La Liga - €57.5million
Netherlands – Eredirise - €42million
So it all looks rosy for the Premier League – but if you look at the report further you’ll see that the league is very much dependent on money from the gambling sector. This season, seven of the 20 clubs in the English Premier League have shirts emblazoned with the names of online betting companies. In fact this trend is seen across Europe, making the most out of the liberalisation of gambling and license laws. For example, Real Madrid's famous white jersey carries the corporate logo of Bwin, and BetClic ranks third among a host of new brands entering the football market with €20 million paid for jersey sponsorship deals with Juventus, Olympique Lyonnais and Olympique Marseille.
But what happens if the Government cracks down on gambling sponsorship in this country? The Gambling Act 2005 is still under review, and it’s currently unlawful for gambling operators to target children with their advertising within the UK. However, clearly with sponsorship there is a grey area; does shirt sponsorship constitute targeting children? Or is this argument too dependent on an assumption that children recognise Boyle Sports from an insurance company?
The right to sponsorship is a fight that tobacco companies lost, and alcohol brands are continuingly battling. So what’s next for the gambling industry?
Last year, GamCare reported a rise in the number of calls from younger people. Too many more reports like this and the industry will come under increased scrutiny.If so, then clearly this would have repercussions for sponsorship across all industries in the UK. It seems now is the time to start preparing the case for the defence…
Laura Oakley
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