Manchester United Trying To Sign Off On £18m Betway Sponsorship Deal

Manchester United are attempting to sign up Betway as their new training kit sponsor, according to reports. The Red Devils are supposedly in advanced talks over tying up a long-term deal with the British bookmaker, thought to be worth more than £18 million per year.

A prospective agreement would be lucrative, putting it on a par with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, whose partnership with Allianz also incorporates stadium naming rights. Apart from featuring on the club’s training kit, the Betway deal, were it to materialise, would also appear on United’s official content channels showing footage from Carrington.

Plugging a sponsorship hole

United have been without a training kit sponsor this season after their deal with blockchain company Tezos ended in June of last year. Rather than rushing into talks, United have pondered their options, and they have been trying to find the right fit.

Their deal with Tezos was worth £24m a year, and while they held discussions with several companies over the past 12 months, they seem to have narrowed their focus. Financial viability and long-term compatibility were viewed as key sticking points, but Betway ticked those boxes, so United pursued negotiations with them.

Extensive Premier League ties

Betway’s connection to the Premier League is long-standing. Apart from previously sponsoring West Ham, who are searching for a new front-of-shirt sponsor when their existing deal with BoyleSports expires at the end of the season, Betway have worked with other top-flight clubs.

Currently, they are Arsenal’s official global betting partner, plugging exclusive content on the club’s social media channels, as well as featuring on advertising boards at the 60,000-seater Emirates Stadium. Betway are also the official global partner for Manchester City, so a deal with United would represent a significant coup.

Pivoting in a slightly different direction

In 2023, the Premier League collectively agreed to ban front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships from the start of the 2026/27 campaign. While front-of-shirt sponsors will be phased out, this hasn’t stopped clubs from collaborating with betting companies in different ways, such as using them for enhancing matchday experiences and placing logos on training kits.

Although the loss of front-of-shirt deals with gambling sponsors will come as a blow, teams are starting to explore other avenues. Crypto, for example, has been deemed a viable avenue to fill the front-of-shirt void, and this was raised by Alex Burmaster, head of research and insights for market intelligence company Caytoo.

He said:

“The Premier League’s gambling ban will result in a more varied portfolio of sponsors and one with a more familiar feel. Crypto is an obvious contender and it’s surprising they haven’t yet stepped up to the plate for front of shirts.

“Often forecast as the ‘next gambling’, they’re already a Top 5 sponsor across all Premier League sponsors, they’ve also got plenty of money, are often based in offshore tax havens, and heavily target Asian audiences.”

Back at the top table

With United’s Champions League berth for next term confirmed following their 3-2 win at home to Liverpool last weekend, this has strengthened their hand commercially.

Indeed, the branding team has worked hard to secure a new sponsor, and they have been fielding more offers from suitors given their return to Europe’s top table.

In the meantime, United are poised to unveil their new home kit ahead of next season by wearing it for the final two games of the season against Nottingham Forest and Brighton. The new jersey, manufactured by Adidas, will get an early outing before going on sale in the summer.