William Hill has been nothing short of aggressive ahead of the Premier League season.
William Hill’s latest deal
The UK sportsbook operator announced its third agreement with an EPL club in the past week, signing a three-year deal with Chelsea to become its “official betting partner.”
That comes just a few days after the announcement of deals with a pair of other EPL clubs, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur. Everton and Tottenham actually face each other in the first week of the EPL fixture, which begins Saturday, Aug. 13.
Tottenham finished third in the EPL table last season, while Everton and Chelsea finished in the middle of the pack.
BetStars, the sports betting platform of Amaya, recently announced a deal with EPL champion Leicsester.
Those moves came shortly after William Hill cut ties with its CEO for less-than-stellar performance with online sports betting.
The William Hill-Chelsea deal, at a glance
What does William Hill get from the deal with Chelsea?
- It will host a match-day betting service at Stamford Bridge, the home pitch of Chelsea, allowing fans place bets at the stadium.
- William Hill will have a presence on Chelsea’s pitchside advertising boards and across the club’s digital platforms.
“We are very happy to be working alongside William Hill for the next three years,” Chelsea FC Managing Director Christian Purslow said in a press release. “They are one of the most recognized and trusted brands in the betting industry and it’s great to have another blue chip company on our list of partners.”
William Hill, not sitting back
Despite the recent change of leadership, with CEO James Henderson ousted last month, William Hill has signed several deals ahead of the EPL season, which starts next week.
The relationship with the three EPL clubs will attempt to put a dent in the failings of the company to grow marketshare in online wagering. The issue was visible in its Q1 numbers, as mobile sports betting saw a significant decrease.
Getting exposure on the clubs’ websites and social media platforms should help numbers on the online betting front.
The deals also come soon after overture of a possible takeover bid by 888 Holdings and The Rank Group, a move that William Hill did not seem initially enamored with.
Photo by Steve Welsh via William Hill
