Sky bet new league sponsor

http://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/article/20130718-leaguesponsor-928682.aspx

City will be playing in Sky Bet League One next season under a new sponsorship agreement announced by the Football League.

The new agreement is Sky Bet’s first-ever off-screen football sponsorship and is aimed at building even greater awareness of their growing range of online and mobile services, including the top rated Apple App.

The news comes as the Football League and Sky Sports extend their existing broadcasting agreement for a further three years until 2018.

It means an increase of 37 lives games per season. From 2015/16, a total of 148 live games will be shown each season from the Sky Bet Football League, Capital One Cup and Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

The partnership ensures Sky Sports viewers can enjoy Football League coverage for another five years, including coverage of all 72 clubs from the three divisions.

Football League chairman Greg Clarke said: “I am delighted to welcome Sky Bet to working with the Football League and its clubs. This agreement takes our long-term partnership with Sky to a new level and provides a genuine boost to clubs ahead of the new season.”

Richard Flint, MD of Sky Bet, commented: “This is a ground-breaking partnership for Sky Bet. We know that having a bet on the match can make it even more exciting.

“In the past fans would go into a betting shop on the way to the ground, but with our industry-leading mobile apps and website they can place their bets quickly and conveniently whether going to the match or watching it on Sky at home.

“Sponsorship of the Football League helps us engage with millions of football fans spanning all 72 league clubs.”

In addition to title sponsorship of the three divisions, Sky will also use its partnership with the Football League to explore opportunities to offer customers exclusive access to competitions and promotional offers, including access to Football League match tickets.

From August 2015, Sky Sports will broadcast exclusively live each season: 112 matches from across the Sky Bet Football League, the Football League play-offs, including all three finals, 15 matches from the Capital One Cup including both legs of each semi-final and the final, plus the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final and at least two matches from the preceding rounds.

Sky Sports will also broadcast highlights and clips of the Sky Bet Football League, Capital One Cup and Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. The agreement encompasses television, broadband internet, video-on-demand and mobile services.

League chief Clarke added: “We place huge value on the commitment Sky has made to our competitions and our clubs over many seasons and we are delighted that they wish to extend our relationship in this way. Supporters will also welcome this news given the outstanding breadth of coverage delivered by Sky Sports.

“The Football League is focused on delivering financial sustainability to our member clubs and this agreement will help us achieve that aim. Already we are delivering careful management of costs through our Financial Fair Play regulations and now we can add increased revenues to our clubs. They will be delighted by this news and the financial certainty it brings for the next five years.”

 

Allowing betting companies to sponsor anything to do with any sport is asking for trouble. Where have the days when local businesses were the order of the day?

 

Bring back tobacco sponsership, F1 cars looked better then

 

Ouch! But very true.

 

Bristol City - First winners of the Sky Bet League 1

 

Now that has a nice ring to it