Isle of Man-licensed online gaming operator 12BET has agreed a special one-off sponsorship deal with League One club Coventry City FC for the team’s televised FA Cup tie with Premiership side Arsenal on Friday.The operator’s logo will appear on the front of Coventry’s away kit for the tie, which is due to take place at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium on Friday, January 24th and will be broadcast live by BT Sport.
Coventry’s main shirt sponsor for this season has been local charity the Grace Research Fund, with the operator taking over for a one-game deal only.
The club’s corporate sales manager Tynan Scope said that as soon has Coventry had been drawn against Arsenal, he had been aware that there would be huge interest in sponsoring the kit for the match.
“The Grace Research Fund is a fantastic cause and remains the club’s nominated charity for the year. They had always said that if a commercial opportunity such as this came our way that they would be happy for a company to have its logo on the shirts,” he explained.
“The fact that it is against Arsenal, it’s the FA Cup and it’s on TV made it a very attractive proposition for a sponsor and we are thrilled to be working with 12BET,” Scope added.
Chief executive of 12BET Europe Rory Anderson said that after Wigan Athletic won the competition featuring the operator’s logo on its shirts, he hoped that the deal would be “a lucky omen” for Coventry.
“Coventry’s iconic 1987 cup win against Tottenham Hotspur sums up what this competition is all about just as Wigan, who are sponsored by 12BET, winning over Manchester City in last season’s final did,” Anderson said. “Coventry City will always be a big part of the FA Cup’s history and we are delighted to be associated with the club.”
The deal is similar to an agreement between Ladbrokes and Coventry’s fellow League One club Nottingham County in August. The operator became the club’s shirt sponsor for its Capital One Cup tie against Premiership side Liverpool.
source : www.gamingintelligence.com
