Online Bookie W88 Returns To Football Sponsorship With Sunderland Deal 

Online bookie W88 has struck a partnership with newly promoted Premier League club Sunderland .  

Under the deal, W88 has become the club’s front-of-shirt sponsor for the upcoming 2025/26 season. Apart from the online bookie’s branding appearing on the front of Sunderland’s home and away uniforms, it will become the club’s official Asian betting partner. Prior to this deal, it has previously worked with Burnley, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Wolves from the Premier League. 

The shirt sponsorship is believed to be a one-season affair as the Premier League front-of-shirt prohibition on gambling companies involved in such deals kicks in from the 2026/27 season. 

Sunderland Chief Commercial Officer, Ashley Peden, said, “We are delighted to be partnering with W88, who possess a proven track record of establishing successful partnerships with elite sporting organisations, including Premier League Football clubs.” 

“The agreement represents the largest commercial deal in the club’s history, and it will contribute significantly towards enabling the club to compete in the Premier League.”

A W88 Spokesperson added, “It’s an incredible honour for all of us at W88 to be partnering with Sunderland AFC, a club with such a storied history throughout the last 150 years. Following an incredible return to the Premier League, we see SAFC as the perfect partner to activate within our overseas target markets, and we can’t wait to be collaborating with them ahead of what promises to be another exciting season on Wearside.”

According to ASN data,  online gambling companies (3.7%, US$169.2m+) is the 9^th largest spender for football sponsorships in Asia since Q323, with an average quarterly investment of almost US$15.8m during this period.  The bulk of the deals are focused in China (65.1%), Japan (22%) and India (12.8%). 

Meanwhile, W88 (10.8%, ~US$18.3m) is the 4^th largest spender for its category in football sponsorships across Asia since Q322, with an average quarterly investment of US$1.5m+ during this period. However, spends have been muted since Q324, and the recent deal with Sunderland is a return to the foray.  Gambling sponsorships have been particularly important for Premier League clubs, particularly the mid and lower-tier clubs.