There are so many moving parts that come together to deliver something like the broadcast of top-level, professional sports game, many of which moving parts we take for granted or are just plain oblivious to. You only realise that there might be some incompetence among the broadcasting staff if you suddenly get a bad viewing experience, for instance, in the same way that you realise the importance of commercial sponsorship when you hear of a history-filled team going into administration because it can’t keep afloat as the business it is anymore…
We’re going to focus on the commercial sponsorship, taking special note of the biggest commercial sponsors of sports competitions and teams.
Casinos and bookies
When it comes to service providers of online slots UK sports teams don’t really feature commercial sponsors who identify as online casinos offering online slots exclusively. Instead, you’d have a parent company or a specific casino brand displayed as the commercial sponsor on the players’ jerseys.
This only serves to demonstrate just how popular betting is as a pastime in the UK, but there are indeed some bettors who do it on a full-time, professional basis. It also serves to demonstrate the diversity in betting channels contained in just one of the many commercial sponsors that are betting brands. You can enjoy an online slots game of Starburst, as just one example, on a selection of many online casino brands’ platforms, in the same way that you’d be able to bet on the very game you’re watching with different odds, from different bookies.
That said – casinos and bookies are major, major commercial sponsors of sports teams and it’s probably only a matter of time until we see casino brands and bookies sponsoring entire competitions. It’s probably just a regulatory thing preventing them from sponsoring something like an entire premier division league in the top five leagues of European football…
Trading and Investment Brokerage Firms
If it’s not the logo or branding of a casino or bookie on the jersey of a professional football team, it’s a brokerage or investment firm’s isn’t it? You also get the likes of insurance companies, banks and many others within the financial sector, which is probably the biggest commercial sponsor – even bigger than casino brands and bookies.
Airlines
Although going forwards it’s probably only going to be the airlines the survive the effects of the pandemic which are going to carry one sponsoring teams and competitions, airlines do indeed feature among the biggest commercial sports sponsors. It’s not uncommon to see the logo of the same airline featured on the jerseys of two professional football clubs from different countries, like those represented in the Uefa Champions League, for instance.
Some airlines even have stadiums named after them and entire competitions too.
Countries
Okay, so in reality it’s more of the countries’ equivalent of the Ministry of Tourism which are emerging as major commercial sponsors of sports teams. You’ve surely jumped onto Google to see if it is indeed viable to “Visit Country X” or “Visit Country Y” as per the tagline printed on a professional sports team’s jersey?
