June 22 – Premier League Aston Villa have agreed a three-year shirt front with controversial betting brand BK8. The club has also secured a sleeve sponsorship with online trading platform Trade Nation.
The deal with BK8 comes at a time when Premier League clubs have volunteered to opt out of selling shirt front sponsorship to betting firms. The Villa deal for the front of all three kits will run until the end of the 2025/26 season.
Villa’s previous front of shirt sponsor, Cazoo, was paying £6 million per season. BK8 is estimated to be paying closer to £8 million.
To sweeten the deal and in an attempt to dial down criticism of the sponsorship, BK8 will make an unspecified contribution per adult third shirt sold, to a local charity in Birmingham. Both the club and BK8 have gone hard on promoting the charitable element of the deal.
BK8 said it has worked over the past two years with charities and programmes involving mental health awareness and indicated that there would be similar initiatives in collaboration with the club.
BK8 EMEA Managing Director Michael Gatt, said: “We are really delighted to be able to announce our support for local charities as part of our exciting new partnership with Aston Villa. Being able to give something back to the supporters for their dedication is a hugely significant part of the reason we want to be involved… As a brand working in football for the last few years, we have committed to working closely with our partners’ local community initiatives and ensure we continue our commitment to delivering on our ambitions in this area.”
The charitable endeavours by BK8 come after a controversial start in the football sponsorship arena. In June 2021 Norwich City fans objected BK8’s shirt sponsorship deal, forcing the club to drop its £5 million one year agreement just five days after announcing the record deal. Fans discovered an Instagram channel promoting services to Malaysian customers that promoted ‘sexy baccarat’ and suggestive images of hot dog swallowing contests.
See: Fan protest of BK8 soft porn ads forces Norwich City to ditch £5m shirt sponsorship
Trade Nation take the Sleeve
Just half an hour after announcing the BK8 deal, Trade Nation was unveiled as the Club’s Official Sleeve and Trading Partner in an agreement the club said was multi-year.
The club followed this up with the unveiling of its shirt and redesigned club crest for the new season.
Trade Nation will support both men’s and women’s senior teams, with the company’s logo displayed on the sleeve of all first team shirts and adult retail shirts.
“We are delighted to announce this partnership with Trade Nation who share our ambition and drive for success. It comes at a key moment for both parties as we embark on an exciting period of growth, with the Club back in Europe.”
Villa finished seventh in the Premier League last season and will compete in the UEFA Conference League.
Emma Stacey, Chief Marketing Officer at Trade Nation, said: “Our partnership with Aston Villa is an important milestone in our growth plan – extending awareness of our online trading platform and building brand awareness through the power of football.”
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