June 24 – Premier League Manchester City has signed its first global betting partnership with online bookmaker Marathonbet. The UAE-owned club has previously resisted betting company sponsorship.
The new multi-year deal with Marathonbet will also cover Manchester City Women.
Although an on-line bookmaker, Marathonbet will provide the matchday betting kiosks at the Etihad Stadium from the start if the 2018/19 season. The company logo will also appear across the Etihad Stadium and on matchday interview backdrops.
Marathonbet will have access to exclusive digital content themed around the first team fixtures and pre-match previews and will offer ‘money-can’t-buy’ experiences.
The bookmaker has been active in football club sponsorship for a while having had partnerships with Tottenham Hotspur, Middlesbrough, West Ham and Derby County. It has just come to an end of a three-year deal signed with Manchester City’s crosstown rival Manchester United. It has also been active in Spain and Russia with CF Malaga and Dynamo Moscow.
Damian Willoughby, senior vice president of partnerships at City Football Group, said: “Marathonbet shares our commitment to providing fans across the world with the best possible matchday experience, whether that’s at the Etihad Stadium or following around the world through digital platforms.”
It is the digital platforms that Marathonbet will use to expand the brand globally, the next stage of its company growth strategy.
Natalia Zavodnik, chief executive officer at Marathonbet, said: “The club share our ideas of innovation and providing their supporters and football fans alike with extraordinary odds, markets and experiences; something we saw with their record breaking 2017/18 season. This announcement is a marker of our intention as a global brand and we can’t wait to get started.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1714404941labto1714404941ofdlr1714404941owedi1714404941sni@n1714404941osloh1714404941cin.l1714404941uap1714404941