Crystal Palace FC’s sponsorship agreement with online gaming company W88 has expired. Before the 2022/23 season, the Premier League club has instead reached an agreement with the used-car marketplace cinch. The move comes amid mounting rumors that the British government may limit corporations from sponsoring Premier League jerseys.
W88 Deal Over
Crystal Palace has replaced its previous shirt sponsor, online gaming company W88, with an online car dealership cinch. The Premier League team is the most recent of many clubs to reassess their ties to the gaming business.
Before the 2020/21 season, Crystal Palace first teamed with W88 Thailand for a front-of-jersey sponsorship. The logo of the online gaming company was placed on the professional players’ and supporters’ adult shirts. Crystal Palace welcomed its new major partner and jersey sponsor in a two-year arrangement, replacing its previous partnership with ManBetX.
At the time, fans were perplexed about what W88 Thailand was and why it sponsored “the Eagles,” as they refer to their team. W88 team, is an Asian gaming company headquartered mainly in the Philippines. It manages private equity funds and the leadership of professional sports executivesAustralian, Canadian, Maltese, Slovak, and Chinese markets.
W88 Thailand operates in the United Kingdom according to a white label partnership with Midnight Gaming Limited, which holds licenses for online gaming. As its primary customers are in Asia, it has shown little interest in expanding its products in Great Britain. Despite its modest presence in the British gaming market, the operator was eager to have its brand prominently shown during the Premier League.
The Premier League is televised to 643 million households in 212 territories, making it the most-watched sports league in the world. The English football league’s premier division has a potential viewership of 4.7 billion people. Additionally, it is the most extensively disseminated sports show in Asia.
A Brand Family-Friendly
Crystal Palace has confirmed that for the 2019 season, their jerseys will have the symbol of a new sponsor after two years with W88Mobi. Cinch operates a popular online marketplace to purchase and sell second hand automobiles. Its website is the fastest-growing online vehicle market in the United Kingdom.
The multi-year agreement designates cinch as the official front-of-shirt sponsor for the men’s and women’s teams of Crystal Palace. Additionally, it will replace the online payment system AstroPay as the club’s official training clothing partner. Cinch will gain brand exposure via Crystal Palace’s web outlets, supporter apparel, Academy teams, and Selhurst stadium.
This is not cinch’s first effort into sports sponsorship with the Croydon club. Among its collaborations are England Cricket, Northampton Saints Rugby, and the SPFL. Commercial Director at Crystal Palace Barry Webber called cinch a well-established and family-friendly brand while announcing the partnership. Webber added:
Avril Palmer-Baunack, the chairman of Constellation Automotive Group, which owns Cinch, was thrilled to announce the new alliance. She described cinch as an ambitious brand and stated that the partnership would facilitate its growth in the UK automobile industry. The club’s recent agreement with Cinch has not been disclosed, although former sponsor W88 Mobile reportedly paid Crystal Palace about £6.5 million each season.
