The NFL has struck a first-of-its-kind sponsorship deal this week that sees its brand link with 888sports. Under the terms of the agreement, sports betting provider 888sport becomes the NFL’s official sports betting partner in the UK and Ireland.
The transatlantic partnership comes in time for the brand-new football season which begins tonight when the Kansas City Chiefs, defending Super Bowl champions, host the Houston Texans.
Celebrating a growing international passion for the NFL, particularly amongst sports fans in UK and Ireland, the partnership will also see 888sport become the official sports betting partner of the Super Bowl and official sports betting partner of the NFL London Games during the 2021-22 season.
The deal will be supported by broadcast sponsorship of the Playoffs, the Super Bowl and Sunday and Monday Night Football, which start this weekend on the new Sky Sports NFL channel.
The first full Sunday of NFL action sees Sky Sports airing three games: the New England Patriots against the Miami Dolphins; Tom Brady’s debut for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the New Orleans Saints; and the Los Angeles Rams hosting the Dallas Cowboys.
Providing fans with engaging content in the build up to fixtures, 888sport is also launching a new weekly social video series called ‘The Punt’, which begins today. Available to watch via 888sport’s social channels, the series will welcome celebrity guests, including former Olympic gold medalist and Kansas City fan Sam Quek, Dallas Cowboys fan and social influencer Will Brazier and BBC journalist and Las Vegas Raiders fan Steffan Powell.
The partnership is the latest exciting development for 888 and the NFL, which expands upon the group’s ongoing sponsorship of the New York Jets in the US – the first and only partnership of its kind between a pure digital gaming company and an NFL team.
Guy Cohen, SVP Head of B2Cat 888, commented: “This is the start of an exciting chapter for 888sport. We pride ourselves on being at the forefront of live sporting experiences and we’re delighted to partner with an internationally adored brand such as the NFL. We look forward to playing our part in an exciting NFL season, which kicks off this weekend, and beyond.”
Chris Halpin, NFL Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer, said: “We are delighted to partner with 888Sport, our first official UK betting partner. It is a brand that will help us deepen fans’ engagement with our sport, and this partnership will provide us with strategic insights that will shape our broader sports betting strategy.”