The 2024/2025 Champions League has started with 36 clubs in the initial phase in a straight points format, while bookmaker sponsorships are growing rapidly in European football.
Currently, 33% of teams have companies in the betting sector as their master sponsor, highlighting the impact of this industry on sport.
Of the 36 clubs in this edition, 11 have betting houses on the most valuable part of their shirts. Among them:
- Aston Villa
- Young Boys
- Celtic
- Inter de Milão
- Sporting
This is the highest number of partnerships between companies in the sector and teams since 2022/2023, when 25% of clubs had betting sponsorships.
Last Tuesday (17), Aston Villa and Young Boys faced each other, both with betting sponsorship. In 2023, 22% of European clubs already received investments from this industry, football’s biggest sponsor.
The number of teams sponsored by bookmakers grew 57% compared to last season. In 2018/2019, only three clubs had these brands, a very different scenario from the current one.
But, in the last six years, the increase was an impressive 366%, showing the strength of this market in football.
In addition to the clubs, betting companies are becoming partners of the competition itself. bet365, for example, signed a three-year deal with UEFA to sponsor the Champions League.
For the first time, bookmakers invest directly in the Champions League. This shows that we are experiencing a new chapter in the relationship between football and betting sites.
“We look forward to a successful partnership that not only elevates our fans’ experience, but also supports efforts to protect the integrity of sport,” said Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA’s chief marketing officer.
Other sectors also invest
In addition to betting, the aviation sector also stands out in sponsorship of the Champions League. Teams such as Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City display airlines on their uniforms, being the second sector that invests most in European football.
Renê Salviano, CEO of Heatmap and specialist in sports marketing, highlighted the role of betting in football: “The betting segment has been a great driver of the sponsorship market, not just in Brazil, it is a worldwide phenomenon. The industry has a great connection with sport, and football is the main leader”.
He also highlighted that the growth in betting brings new revenue to clubs. In other words, this must still be taken advantage of by managers.
Evolution of betting site sponsorships in the Champions League
The last time the Champions League did not have a bookmaker as a master sponsor was in the 2014/2015 season. However, this relationship between football and betting began much earlier.
In 1994/1995, SV Casino Salzburg became the first club sponsored by a betting brand, starting a trend that would grow exponentially in the following decades.
