Five More Years: Sky Bet and English Football League Extend Title Partnership

Flutter Entertainment’s subsidiary, Sky Bet, has confirmed a landmark five-year extension with the English Football League (EFL). This prolongs Sky Bet’s status as the league’s title partner until the end of the 2028/29 season.

The continuation of this decade-long partnership signifies a substantial 50 percent increase in rights fee from Sky Bet, thereby promising notable revenue streams for EFL clubs and backing the league’s primary goal of financial sustainability across all divisions.

Under the terms of the deal, Sky Bet has committed to investing £1 million per season, and £6 million in total, into a Community Fund managed by the EFL. This fund will support initiatives in communities where EFL clubs are based across England and Wales. The EFL Trust and the Club Community Organisations will collaborate with Sky Bet and the EFL to deploy this funding, with specific initiatives to be mutually agreed upon.

First established in 2013, this partnership, one of the most significant and enduring in UK professional sport, is grounded on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that delineates the execution of shared objectives in a socially responsible manner.

The MOU has consistently prioritised safer gambling, while also framing an approach to connect EFL fans with the teams, players and communities they ardently support.

This renewed MOU will continue to safeguard children and other vulnerable groups, with both Sky Bet and the EFL emphasising their commitment to the responsible promotion of their product.

As part of this commitment, the MOU includes provisions such as:

Sky Bet will not actively advertise their products in family areas of club stadiums or to younger fans.

The EFL will devote a part of its central inventory to promote safer gambling messaging and endorse Sky Bet’s safer gambling campaigns.

Sky Bet will finance a player education programme across the EFL’s 72 clubs, focusing on potential risks of gambling and providing support and advice.

Both Sky Bet and the EFL will share knowledge and insights from their partnership with the Government, other sports and sector stakeholders to contribute to the forthcoming sports sponsorship Code of Conduct in line with the Gambling Act Review White Paper’s proposals.

UK Gambling Reform

Flutter has expressed its support for the recently published Gambling Act Review, which is seen as a key step forward for the UK gambling sector, improving standards and modernising the regulatory framework for the digital age.

As part of the agreement, Sky Bet will retain its position as Official Title Partner of the Sky Bet EFL and Sky Bet Play-Offs globally. Furthermore, Sky Bet will have the rights to present official Manager, Player, and Goal of the Month awards as well as the seasonal ‘Golden Boot’ and ‘Golden Glove’ awards in each division.

Steve Birch, Sky Bet Chief Commercial Officer, affirmed: “I’m extremely proud of Sky Bet’s ongoing partnership with the EFL and delighted to have reached today’s agreement. Football is central to who we are and it’s great to be able to support the game and provide investment for clubs across the pyramid.

“I’m particularly delighted that we can go one step further today with the announcement of our Sky Bet EFL Community Fund, seeking to make a real difference for people across England and Wales.

“As the recent Sky Bet Play-Off Finals demonstrated, the EFL is going from strength to strength with packed grounds and millions watching games here in the UK and around the world.

“We are absolutely committed to Safer Gambling, and I’m delighted that our partnership with the EFL shows how responsible betting and gaming operators and sporting organisations can work together to promote safer gambling and tackle the issue of gambling harm.”

EFL Chief Executive Trevor Birch, added: “For over a decade, Sky Bet has been a valuable partner for EFL clubs, offering sustained investment to help clubs navigate a volatile financial landscape and ensure fans can enjoy fantastic footballing entertainment in every corner of the country.

“We have consistently seen our partnership evolve to move with the times and with community at the heart of the EFL, a new community investment fund is perfectly aligned and will help strengthen the partnership’s commitment to social responsibility.

“The Government’s recent Gambling White Paper highlighted the social responsibility measures that have accompanied our partnership with Sky Bet as being an example of good practice for the wider sports sector to learn from and we will look to deepen our commitment to the promotion of safer gambling as part of this extension.”