FFP

[Percy McCarthy]

Aston Villa have sealed the biggest front of shirt sponsorship in the club’s history with Greek online sports betting platform Betano — £20m annually for two years! The Betano deal runs for two years until 2026, when the ban on gambling companies on shirt fronts comes into effect from the start of the 26/27 season.

Pretty impactful figures. Reported annual amounts here, no ITK, but Castore (£3m) to Adidas (£12m), and BK (£6m) to Betano (£20m). Dare we say well done Heck?

[Chris Harte]

Aston Villa have sealed the biggest front of shirt sponsorship in the club’s history with Greek online sports betting platform Betano — £20m annually for two years! The Betano deal runs for two years until 2026, when the ban on gambling companies on shirt fronts comes into effect from the start of the 26/27 season.

Pretty impactful figures. Reported annual amounts here, no ITK, but Castore (£3m) to Adudas (£12m), and BK (£6m) to Betano (£20m). Dare we say well done Heck?

I'd not seen the figures reported anywhere (I'd got used to them all being "undisclosed") but if they're accurate that's an extra £23m a season. If that's down to Heck then you have to say well done.

[VillaTim]

Yeah fair play if the numbers are true.

[Percy McCarthy]

If Adidas provide a full range of merch, plus with their reputation, marketing and distribution, the boost to commercial income will outweigh even the £12m lump sum.

[Chris Harte]

BTW, how did we get out of the existing deals?

Castore I'm guessing was down to the wet shirts.

BK8 I'd have thought it was because we wanted something more squeeky clean were it not for the fact we've replaced them with another betting company.

[VillaTim]

I thought new deals with gambling firms had been banned.

[PaulWinch again]

I think it’s been covered above and whilst betting generally isn’t great there is a real range in terms of how bad/undesirable a company can be.

[Chris Harte]

I thought new deals with gambling firms had been banned.

Only from 2026 I think.

[Percy McCarthy]

I thought new deals with gambling firms had been banned.

Only from 2026 I think.

No gambling sponsors allowed 26/27 and onwards. Hence two year deal.

[PeterWithesShin]

With how kit and merch deals work clubs don't make a massive from sales. Most of the money comes from the initial agreement, royalties on actual sales are pretty small. Usually between 5 and 10% of wholesale of non club sales. Obviously any the club sells directly has a bigger margin as they buy at wholesale and sell at RRP. That's why the initial deal is so important.

[VillaTim]

I thought new deals with gambling firms had been banned.

Only from 2026 I think.

No gambling sponsors allowed 26/27 and onwards. Hence two year deal.

Thanks both for the info.
Does this mean a ban also on all the incessant tv ads during the games for bet365 / paddy power etc . ?

[Somniloquism]

I thought new deals with gambling firms had been banned.

Only from 2026 I think.

No gambling sponsors allowed 26/27 and onwards. Hence two year deal.

Thanks both for the info.
Does this mean a ban also on all the incessant tv ads during the games for bet365 / paddy power etc . ?

No. The clubs agreed to the betting shirt sponser bans, but general advertising ban is a government thing.

[VillaTim]

I thought new deals with gambling firms had been banned.

Only from 2026 I think.

No gambling sponsors allowed 26/27 and onwards. Hence two year deal.

Thanks both for the info.
Does this mean a ban also on all the incessant tv ads during the games for bet365 / paddy power etc . ?

No. The clubs agreed to the betting shirt sponser bans, but general advertising ban is a government thing.

Bit of a mixed message then in this country at least.

[Percy McCarthy]

With how kit and merch deals work clubs don't make a massive from sales. Most of the money comes from the initial agreement, royalties on actual sales are pretty small. Usually between 5 and 10% of wholesale of non club sales. Obviously any the club sells directly has a bigger margin as they buy at wholesale and sell at RRP. That's why the initial deal is so important.

Ah, okay. I read somewhere how much Celtic make over and above the initial deal, and it seemed quite a lot. But as I can’t mind where I read it, I’m not going to start quoting half-remembered figures.

[Percy McCarthy]

I thought new deals with gambling firms had been banned.

Only from 2026 I think.

No gambling sponsors allowed 26/27 and onwards. Hence two year deal.

Thanks both for the info.
Does this mean a ban also on all the incessant tv ads during the games for bet365 / paddy power etc . ?

No. The clubs agreed to the betting shirt sponser bans, but general advertising ban is a government thing.

Bit of a mixed message then in this country at least.

Quite:

“With incoming new government legislation, online betting brands will no longer be able to be Premier League shirt sponsors from the start of the 2026/27 seasons. They will, however, still be able to be sleeve, training wear, stadium naming rights and global partners at Premier League teams.”

(From something called Sport Quake)